This weekend was tough for me — both my daughters left for college. Emma will be a junior and Ellie a freshman. Saying goodbye is always tough. I love my girls, and I miss them! But, as I was thinking through this whole “leaving the nest” process, I thanked God for the work He has done in both their lives, in the years leading up to their leaving.
As a mom, my instinct is protect my kids from hard times. I don’t want them hurt in any way, don’t want them mistreated. I want them to have lots of friends and fun, good grades and starting positions on all the sports teams. 
But the reality of life is that, sometimes, we encounter hard times, we are mistreated, we don’t always have lots of friends or fun, and, sometimes, we fail. God knows that. And because He is a MUCH better parent than I am, He allowed my daughters to experience all the above. And He did this because He knows that character is more important than comfort.
My girls’ character was shaped the most during the hard times – the moves and the heartaches, the bench-sitting and the lost friendships. They didn’t always respond perfectly. Neither did their dad or I. We’re still growing, too! But they did grow from them — either by learning to rely on Christ to get through it or learning, in hindsight, how not to respond.
And so, as we send them off – Emma to continue and Ellie to begin college – we send them off knowing they are prepared. They know what it’s like to be disappointed, to be hurt, to be challenged. They understand failure. And they know that, no matter what circumstances they face, God will be right beside them. They know to praise Him on the mountaintops and to cling to Him in the valleys.
And while I pray their college years will be more mountaintops than valleys, I am comforted in knowing they have already experienced both and come out stronger.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
