This looks pretty generic.   

And it probably resembles the photo that a lot of 'parents of seniors' end up with.  

It could be titled, "yay!  My kid’s going to college!  We did a great job!"

But, like so many images, it is just a snapshot that grazes the surface. The picture suggests a happy ending to a fruitful journey and one that everyone has anticipated with joy from the start of high school.

The truth is that, like so much of what the world wants to sell us, there is more that what meets the eye. At first glance you see two proud parents and a newly accepted college student ready to seamlessly step into the next phase of his life.

But if you don’t look closely, you would miss the best part. The one that God knew we needed-
The gift of a nine month cross that presented itself as helping this amazing kid make the next step into adulthood.

If you carry a cross-especially if you carry one that you believe is a result of your own failings-stay the course. This particular cross was given to us because God decided we needed it.  It was his cross to give and ours to accept and lean on Him hard to help us accept it. The heavier the cross feels, the more He wants you to know that you cannot do it without Him.  And whether you believe it or not, it is a tremendous gift.

Senior year for the best senior we know has been hard.  There were no clear cut answers or clear paths. The three of us found ourselves a month away from graduation and in the desert.

But while we were in the desert, God knew what we needed.

We needed Him. 

And He delivered with a love that never fails…Matthews next step at Emmanuel College was perfectly curated for him and will allow him to stretch his wings while staying close to God and geographically close to us. 

 Emmanuel means ‘God is with us’.  It couldn’t be a more perfect answer to our prayers.