I am the mother of a high school senior. Can you guess what the question of the year is from every family member, church friend, grocery store employee, neighbor, and person we just met five minutes ago?

“So Asa, what are you going to do next year?”

Mmmhmm. It’s a fair question. People are curious, and in fact, I appreciate that so many care enough to ask.

It would be nice if we had an answer. It would be great if there was plan in place. But right now, the answer is a solid, “I don’t know yet.”

Not only does he not know, I mean – he does not know. The options are pretty much without limit, which makes the decision both very exciting and occasionally very overwhelming. The months building up to this school year as I was figuring out his senior year curriculum just about did me in. What should we focus on? How much should we work to improve his ACT? How should we guide him? What will be best for him?

All are valid questions. But when I started losing sleep and noticing a shortage of oxygen at the very mention of Asa’s future, I recognized that I had taken this all upon myself and landed myself in a pool of worry. I hate it when I do that. I know better.

So I’m wrestling. I’m walking a brand new path and learning as I (let) go. I started to tell someone recently, “Hopefully, this time next year we’ll have a great story to tell about how God opened and closed doors to lead Asa to whatever he’s going to be doing.” Then I stopped myself. Hopefully? Hopefully?!!?  Have I not experienced God at work before? Do I not know the truth from Ephesians about God preparing works in advance for us? How about we switch the word “hopefully” with “definitely”? Definitely, this time next year we WILL have a great story to tell about how God opened and closed doors to lead Asa to whatever he’s going to be doing.

He will. God will do it. We will have a story. Our job is to trust.  And maybe to cry a little here and there.  Hey, he’s my firstborn. You want to try and tell me it’s easy to think of launching this fantastic kid out of the nest a year from now? (I know. 11 months from now. Hush.)

One particularly weepy day for me last week, God put a dear friend in my path whom I haven’t visited with in several months. I didn’t tell her I was wrestling with this. In fact, I didn’t use many words at all. I didn’t need to.  Just sharing the words “senior year” was enough for her to read my mind and heart. See, she’s done this before…four times. Her youngest graduated last year. She knows. She knows. God used her to bless me, encourage me, and to remind me of what I already know to be true:

God already has this figured out. He will make it happen.  Our job is to listen and walk with Him.

She told me about a fun card someone had given her last year when she was going through a difficult time with her dad’s illness. I loved what it said and decided to recreated it for you (and me).

Yes, yes, yes! We know this.  We’ve experienced this.

The end of the story? We already know how it’s going to turn out.  We might not know the specifics, but we know it’s going to be great, because God is in charge, not us.

Oh, God. You’re so good. You know what we need, and you bless us constantly with your truth. Help us to hear it. Help us to live it. Help us to accept your continual gift of peace. We trust you.

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If you’d like, feel free to download the images on this page to print and use. Click the links below:

I Hate To Spoil the Ending ~ Create a Card

I Hate to Spoil the Ending ~ Full Size Wall Print

For We Are God’s Handiwork ~ Full Size Wall Print