Night to Shine

Scrubbed clean and shimmering, the 8th grade class of 2013 was all smiles in the spotlight, and I sat back with a sigh to take it all in. This was the evening they had only been anticipating for three years, or so they said. Dinner had been enjoyed by all, even the deliciously secretive baby photos their parents had sent us weeks in advance had made their mark, and now we were all gathered in the auditorium to pay tribute: a lauding of character traits we admired, praise for three years of accomplishment and growth, expressed expectations for the great things still to come.

As each 8th grader climbed the daunting steps and listened to the tribute and while the audience ahhhed, laughed, and applauded at the appropriate moments, I inwardly said good-bye to each one. So many memories: the time MC yelled "flamingos" for no reason in the middle of class, the time MT threw her arms around me in a surprise hug, the embarrassing moment when I called JG another student's wife by accident. I'll forever savor the two minutes I got to hold JK's hand while he sobbed over a deep hurt. I will cherish the dinner conversation with AM and CC when they shared about their God-given joys in life. I recall the cookies that IW, DD, and MF dropped in my mailbox just the other week. And I know it's time to let go. I don't want to, but it's time. They have slipped my grasp of Middle School (most tower over me by now), and they are more than ready to tackle the challenge of High School. So we celebrate with them this night. We recognize their individuality and with heavy hearts, saturated with pride and heart-break, release them to shine.

Treasured Gifts

Last night was our final Small Group of this school year, and nostalgia rolled over me much like the thunder storm did on top of Hochblauen (our local mountain). While munching on cucumbers and crackers on our make-shift picnic blanket, we bade farewell to the girls' sophomore year by looking back at the gifts we have received. Some were physical, given to each other throughout the year, while others were relational, in the welcoming of two new girls into our group this Spring. They have blessed us already in so many ways. I know I will treasure the marble heart in colors of beige and purple, and I love the games AA has taught us since her arrival.

Of course, my favorite gifts are the ones that gathered in my living room every Wednesday to share tea, cookies, and lives. The girls dug deep this year, and I loved intermixing our fun, goofy times (mainly during sleep-overs) with some serious, vulnerable sharing of the heart. We examined stories this year: the ones we find in the Bible and the ones God is writing into our lives at this very moment. I'll miss them dearly over the summer but look forward to another year of learning more about each other and about our Savior at the same time. Here's to you, MT, EE, PM, KH, AA, HH, CB, and HR!