Middle school is tough for anybody, but especially, it seems, for girls.
When my middle daughter was in seventh grade, she went through a time of serious unhappiness. Nothing seemed to be right at school, and she would often cry–either on the way to school as I drove her in the morning or on the way home from school in the afternoon. As a mother, my heart would break along with hers.
I wanted to do something to take the pain away.
My husband and I talked about alternatives—homeschooling, private schooling—but nothing seemed right for her other than where she already was. I spent many hours praying for my daughter, that she would learn whatever God wanted her to learn through these hard middle school years. I asked God for direction as to how best handle this situation, pleading with Him for a way out of this difficult time in my daughter’s life.
But I never felt God telling me to make a change. Rather, I felt Him saying to me, “Wait. Just wait.” So we waited. The waiting wasn’t easy, but even on the most difficult days, I still felt God saying, “Wait.”
The Bible tells us that those who wait upon the Lord–
- are heard. Psalm 40:1 says “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.”
- are blessed. Isaiah 30:18 says, “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”
- are renewed. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
God’s promises are true for you and for your children. Our period of waiting seemed long at times, frustrating at times, difficult at times. But God remained faithful to the promises He gave us in His word.
Now that my daughter is in high school, I can say that time, maturity, and waiting on the Lord have been on our side. She seems much happier now that those tough years are behind her. She can look ahead with hope, knowing that God held her through some dark and difficult days.
And we have both learned the benefits of waiting.
Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
Photo credit: Kate Wildman. http://www.aneffervescentsomething.blogspot.com/
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Shelly enjoys her "Life on the Wild Side" with her husband, three daughters, and her amazing yellow lab, Thunder. You can read about their everyday adventures at Life on the Wild Side.
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My sister feels the same way you do about middle school. She told me once that she feels nobody learns anything in 6th grade, so she was considering taking her daughter out of school that year and just letting her travel.
I reminded her that year wasn't bad for me, and I did learn some things that year. My bad year was my freshman year of high school. It's different for everybody.
Awesome post. I so agree. It may be a bit easier for boys (my oldest is a 6th grader this year)-or it may just be that girls show their true feelings more easily!
Thanks for the encouragement!
How wonderful to know we can take anything and everything to our Father in prayer!
What a beautiful post. Waiting on God is so hard. Thank you for sharing these beautiful and inspiring verses of scripture!
I absolutely love that photo! And what a great post. Very apropo for me today, thank you.
And just WAIT and see what she realized she learned through that turmoil when she is older. I too had a tough time, for me it was in 8th grade, but the lessons I learned then have definitely shaped me into the woman I am today.