A Little Struggle

Jacob isn't one to shy away from a challenge.  In fact, he tends to welcome one.  He's determined to be the best at everything he can and will work meticulously until he gets it right.  Which is why it came as such a surprise to us when Jacob confessed that he hated Kindergarten.  Hated Kindergarten!?!  I never knew that was even possible!

At first, he complained that he was bored and lonely.  2 1/2 hour days didn't leave much room for playing, which meant it was harder to make friends.  And we knew he would probably be bored for the first part of the year...he is quite brilliant (ok...so I'm a little bias). 

Then came the tears at night.  And the tears in the morning.  "Please don't make me go, Mommy!"  Heart-breaking words for a mom.  Phone calls to his teacher didn't provide anymore insight.  "Jacob is sad, but is well-engaged in class."  No surprise there.  He'd never turn down an opportunity to listen if it meant he might learn something.

After a couple weeks of him crying to sleep at night, and having to pry him off me in the mornings so he wouldn't miss his bus, my mother's intuition told me there was something far deeper than boredom and loneliness.  Then one night, Jacob finally confessed.  "There's something missing, Mom.  I just don't feel comfortable there.  They never pray and they never talk about Jesus."

How could a 6 year old be so in-tune to the absense of faith?  And how do you explain to a young child why God can't be talked about in school? 

We started looking around at Christian schools in the area and found one close by.  We called them up, set up a day for Jacob to visit, and prayed that the decision would be very clear.

When I picked him up after his visit, he met me with a HUGE grin on his face.  "This is where I want to be, Mom!  They talked about Jesus, we read Bible verses, and we even prayed.  I want to come here!"  Can't get much clearer than that.

So, after a lot of prayer and discussion, we pulled Jacob from public school this past week.  He had his 1st day at his new school yesterday.  After school, he again met me with a smile and a hug.  "Mom, this day was better than my best day at Northpoint!"  What an answer to prayer!

It's funny how sometimes God allows us to struggle.  To have periods of time in our lives when we're uncomfortable.  Sometimes we don't understand why.  Sometimes we wonder when it'll end.  But God knows.  He sees what's ahead.  He has the best place in mind for us, but sometimes His timing isn't ours.  Sometimes we have to trust in His timing, and endure the struggle, in order to appreciate what He has in store for us just around the corner.