Joy A. Mead

“Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty—ready or not, here I come!” said my husband as he started his search for our son, Luke. 

This was an outside game of hide-and-seek in our back garden. Charlie looked in all the usual places such as the alleyway behind the bins and around the back of the log cabin. Looking for feet and shoes among the shrubs, he surprisingly couldn’t find our son. 

Eventually, Luke had infectious giggles because Daddy couldn’t find his brilliant hiding place. Following the sound of laughter, Charlie looked inside the dense foliage of our laurel tree to find Luke grinning at him with a sense of pride in climbing so far up into the tree. He had chose wisely and could be confident that it was a safe hiding place. 

***

Life has been really busy lately with our daughter, Anna, finishing her last days of primary school. To be honest, this whole school year has swirled past in one big flurry of newness. Visiting all the open evenings for secondary schools, taking the 11+ entrance exam, preparing for SATs testing, her last ballet show, and residential trip with her class, induction day at her new school, and parents’ evenings at the new school, are some of the big moments of her year 6. 

In the last weeks, I’ve found myself consumed with preparing all the little details and administrative duties of family life. So much so that I haven’t had a moment to set aside any spare time for writing or even sharing encouraging posts on social media. It’s just not been the season to focus on my ministry at all. And I’m okay with that because even when I haven’t been able to share, God has still been very much at work in my life and I pray He has been in yours too. 

***

Symbolically, the weather has started to cool after the humid, summer weeks and just like that, we are into a new season with our children at two different schools. Ready or not, our firstborn is now at secondary school (high school)! After just over a week, we are daily becoming more familiar with our very different routine. For Anna and for me, this transition seems both exciting and daunting simultaneously. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I am carrying joy, sadness, and grief all rolled together into the mixture of my maternal emotions! 

***

If my writing seems a bit random and disjointed, it is because my words reflect my current state of being, trying to be brave amidst the discomfort of change. Yet, throughout this newness, God has continually reminded me of the imagery of Luke’s brilliant hiding place in the laurel tree. Right in the middle of my split emotions, God has invited me to find my hiding place in Him. I can grieve as well as celebrate our daughter’s completion of primary school. I can soak in a bit of sadness that Anna is growing up so quickly. And I can rejoice in all her accomplishments thus far, proudly cheering her on to the next milestone. Each emotion and everything I feel are made safe when I run into the loving arms of God as my shelter and comfort. 

Perhaps you are really having a difficult time watching your baby (at whatever age) move on to his or her new step. Or maybe you are wrestling with something deep inside of you, fearful of what others would think if they only knew. Perhaps you have lost some hope and disappointments have left you overwhelmed. Whatever you carry in your heart is safe to hand over to Jesus. Within his safe, hiding place, we can each find solace, rest, and healing. 

Praying for God’s blessings on each of us this day, 

Joy