It’s Sunday night. How you feeling about the week ahead?

The past few weeks have been busy here, with the school year wrapping up and our son graduating from high school with flying colors.

At the end of the year, we all celebrate achievements, scholarships, and awards, and we should - God has given kids so many gifts and it’s cool to see them using those gifts well.

Many gifts aren’t as visible, though.

Maybe your kid is the quiet one in the back who doesn’t say much and didn’t get any big awards.

Maybe school isn’t their thing, but they’re good with their hands, they’re creative, they’re engaging - they just don’t fit in a box.

Maybe they have special needs and just being at school at all is an accomplishment on a level with the best scholarship.

Maybe they can’t even go to school, but they’re still bringing joy to your family.

Maybe they’re outright rebellious and heading down destructive paths.

Whatever the case, elementary and high school awards are not the end.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, to guide these individual and unique people God has entrusted to our families. Are we pushing them too much? Not enough? Why aren’t they doing what we said?

Whatever your situation, whatever your kids’ abilities - show them Jesus as their hope in life and death, show them how to work hard and love well, show them what compassion looks like, and remember:

God loves our kids more than we do, and he can do more for them than we can even dream, so while we’re responsible to parent them well, we have to leave their present and their future in the hands of our loving and sovereign father, who does all things for their good and his glory.

Whether they’re winning a scholarship or getting suspended, love them with endurance, patience, and joy.

Grace and peace to you in the week ahead.

P.S. Here’s a beautiful article from this week written by a dad of a boy with profound autism about the end of school.