The Next

He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion.

Psalms 103:4

My daughter jumped in. She was ready to be on a collegiate track and field team. God granted me grace once again, but this time it was to drop my baby girl off at college. Y’all when I tell you that God is good, I am meaning it RIGHT HERE. 

Here we go, packed and ready for “move in day.” We decorated her dorm room, we bought her necessities, and we met roommates and parents. Then a whirlwind of a day was over, and it was time to go and let her fly. So many emotions, but the honest truth is that the overwhelming emotion of the day was joy. I was so thankful. God had answered our prayer on so many levels. Just in time. His time.

Waiting for that doctor’s appointment was hard. I wanted her healing to be way faster. But the gratitude I felt when her doctor said she was released was astounding. All the pieces started to come together. Of course there were a few tears when I hugged her and we said our goodbyes, but the tears were short lived because the joy was overpowering. 

Though I would miss seeing her face everyday, I could not be sad that she was getting to pursue her dreams. She was ready to get back what she had lost. She was ready to get back to working hard and being a part of a team. She was so ready for the next. We were so proud, and we were excited to see what the Lord had in store for her. We were ready for the next. 

The fall brought growth and continued healing. The trainers for the team kept my daughter’s health in mind, and reined her in more than she wanted. But again, God is gracious to us. She received the best care and therapy as she continued to gain strength in her knee, better than she would have received if she were under my care. 

God was faithful to give us peace and healing for the next part of our journey. It was exciting and life-giving to us. 

Lord, thank you for providing what we need when we need it. You are faithful in all things. 

Julie Smith