Monday, March 30, 2026 — Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
BE STILL AND TRUST GOD
“Be strong and courageous.” In the Bible, these words are spoken at a moment of letting go. Moses is preparing the people for a future that he will not walk into with them. The journey ahead is real, uncertain and unavoidable. God’s promise is not that it will be easy, but that they will not be alone.
Recently, I’ve felt like I’m at a similar point. Thatcher is not far from leaving for college. He is a junior now, Brynn just behind him as a sophomore (luckily, Emmy is still several years away). Suddenly, the years feel compressed. Everyone said it would feel this way, and yet I didn’t see it coming. I catch myself wondering if Dallas and I have done enough. Have we taught them how to make good decisions, how to recover when they fail, how to stand on their own when we are not there to steady them? Alongside pride sits a quiet worry about the world they are stepping into and the distance that will all too soon be real.
While I know this is exactly what we have been working toward, these moments aren’t easy. Strength and courage are not about confidence that everything will turn out exactly as planned. They are about trusting that God’s presence goes where we cannot. As a parent, it’s my job to find a way to release. While I won’t stop caring or worrying (it’s in my DNA), I will have to stop controlling the next steps.
Stillness here is not calm reflection, but acceptance. It is the deep breath taken at the threshold, the choice to trust that God is walking with our children in ways we cannot. The same God who has been present in our homes, routines and conversations will be present in dorm rooms, classrooms and unfamiliar cities.
I’m choosing to let this be a reminder that letting go does not mean stepping back from love. It means placing our children into hands larger than our own. We are not asked to eliminate fear, only to keep moving forward in trust, believing that God does not abandon those we love when they step into their own lives.
God of peace, you know the worries I hold too tightly. Teach me to release what I cannot control and to rest in your presence. Guard my heart and mind with your peace as I walk through this season. Amen
Dulcinea Rakestraw
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