God In The Small Stuff

So, I wrote about Clark going on this outdoor adventure with some incoming Freshman at his college. We were so excited for him to have this opportunity.

But the details on this trip? Well, they haven't really been what THIS Momma would want. It's almost like they were written by someone who consistently uses the words, "rad" and "sick" and "this is totally my jam."

In other words...I am old.

Not that any of the information we received contained ANY of those words.

It's just that me...as a MOM...and as a FIRST BORN child...would prefer that it would say things like, "we will be heading down highway ___." And "we hope to arrive at ____ ." And, "we will ask everyone to text their parents to let them know we arrived safely...before phones are turned off." And, "we will be staying at ______, which is at or near the town/city of ______." And, "in case of emergency, you can reach someone at this number: ____"

IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?

No. No it is not.

AND, YES...I KNOW THESE ARE COLLEGE KIDS.

I KNOW I AM USING ALL CAPS. I'M EMPHASIZING THAT I KNOW I AM O-VER-RE-ACT-ING TO THIS WHOLE SITUATION.

Anyway, the day he left, he was just driving down to college and spending the night in one of the dorms. This was mainly to accommodate the ones who were going to have a long drive to campus...because the buses were going to leave early Wednesday morning. He had only been there an hour, when I got a text that said he was "having a blast" with his roommate and "some friends."

And I kind of freaked.

Because, the way the text was worded...didn't sound like Clark AT ALL.

AND, the fact that he had been there ONE HOUR, and he only knew 1 person...and he didn't know THAT person well...and he was telling me that he was having a BLAST...with FRIENDS?

Well, I was convinced that, a) he'd been kidnapped. Or, b) his phone had been hacked or stolen.

I wish I was kidding.

I even asked Jim to do FIND MY PHONE on Clark's phone.

I wish I was kidding.

I was EXTREMELY uneasy the whole night. I went back and forth between praying and fretting...which I KNOW IS NOT HOW THAT'S ALL SUPPOSED TO WORK (see the ALL CAPS for emphasis? It's because I KNOW).

I went to bed, and I could not get comfortable. My heart was just...uneasy...is the word that keeps coming to mind. I began to pray. And pray. And pray some more.

And, in the middle of one of my prayers, I heard my phone buzzing on the nightstand. It was on silent. I rolled over to answer it, and it was Clark. He sounded GREAT! Tired, but great. He said that he was having so much fun, and that he had met a lot of new friends.

In other words: he had not been kidnapped.

Come down off the ledge, MOM.

I know. I'm awful. And I've done this before with 2 of his siblings...can you just imagine if this was our first?

They weren't really supposed to have their phones, but he wanted to call real quick and let me know he was okay. I talked to his girlfriend the next day, and she said that he'd called her THREE TIMES, but she was asleep and didn't hear her phone. I am 100% convinced that, if she'd answered her phone, I wouldn't have gotten a call at all...so, SORRY NOT SORRY, Faith-the-girlfriend.

And, I'll just have to say...isn't God good? He was so tender to this crazy out-of-control Mommy's heart, to allow me to receive that phone call. It sounds like such a simple thing, and it is...but it meant the world to me.

Later, I found a picture on Twitter of Clark's group, and he was smiling.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this...I search for my child in pictures when they are at camp or on a missions trip.

I cannot tell you how many times I've done this over the years. And I could tell instantly if they were having a good time...just by their faces in the pictures.

Moms?

I am so thankful that I can go to God with the big things, and with the small things...because He cares about ME.

"I will lie down and sleep peacefully, for you, Lord, make me safe and secure." Psalm 4:8