Letting Go...

Yesterday was a big day for me. My wife and I dropped off our daughter, Olivia, at Second's pre-school for her first day ever. I was thinking…”this should be routine.” After all, she’s only 3 and we're confident in our little girl's social skills (she has truly never met a stranger). It wasn’t.
As I let go of her hand and “released” her to the “world,” I was filled with a surprising conflict of emotions. On one hand, I knew she was ready and excited to begin her journey that day. On the other hand, by letting go, I no longer felt in “control.” The school lobby represented the first step into the great unknown; both for Olivia and her emotional father. Livi would be meeting and interacting with other kids (even boys..ugh!). She would no longer always be in the safe little world we had created for her.
If you’re a parent, you know exactly what letting go feels like…whether you have a child, middle school, or high school student. As I walked off the school campus that day with my wife Erin, I reflected on what I had just experienced. God gently reminded me that He loves my daughter more than I ever could. On my best day, I could never love her the way He loves, pursues, and surrounds her.
I’m still uneasy today, but God’s “whisper” to me comforted me in a way that nothing else could. I know I will never be able to completely manage the world around my little girl, but God sees her. He cares. And He pursues.

Brian Harris
Student Pastor and Dad