The past three years of high school have been a challenge for our oldest, only, girl. The adjustment from a small private school to a large public school proved to be more that she could shoulder and she pressed constantly for us to homeschool her or send her to a smaller institution with opportunities for online education. Her desire for change wavered and we clung to the sides of a boisterous boat in a sea of fluctuating requests.
This, her senior year, was going to be the one that stuck. Her freshman brother was entering which gave her anticipation for change, her friendship circle began to expand, and she finally began to chip away at the wall she had built around herself for three years. She began to embrace her high school. She also realized that there are good people, there are interested teachers, and that she could have fun. Making a go of school from a social standpoint was going to take some motivation.
Attending her first varsity football game in four years was the first step. Spending time with school friends outside of school was the second step. Attending senior activities was the third step, and recently she was voted “most unique” which after some convincing, she realized the honor in this title. No one wants to be exactly like the person sitting next to them in econ.
The pace quickened. She was going to Disneyland with Stephanie from her art class, and became friends with a supportive girl named Autumn. She was talking more and more about school activities and people who she knew, and, after attending two dances at other schools she was going to make her first attempt to attend a dance and her own school. We were thrilled.
Our frustration mounted though, as our daughter returned from school with the information that the third boy she asked to Winter Formal was unable to attend. He too had other plans just like the rest of them and I began to wonder why God seemed to intentionally create a barrier for my girl.
She then appeared with cupcake mix and a plan, and we prayed. Would her persistence pay off? She was going to try one more time. This boy was the one.
She made a plate of cupcakes, frosted them, and creatively stuck silly photos of herself taped to toothpicks inside each confection. One cupcake held a sign which read, “Sure would be sweet if you went to Winter Formal with me.” We prayed some more. I begged God, and we waited.
The next day arrived and she texted me, “He said ‘Yes!’” They are excited. Victory after defeat. Success after failure. God knew. He had a plan. His plan didn’t match ours, but He knew.
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