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给送学生去大学的妈妈
空气中弥漫着兴奋的气氛。 Soon, I will join the rest of my colleagues in welcoming new students to campus as they begin their college career. It’s a celebratory day for faculty and staff—after all, these new students are the reason we are here. It’s an exciting season of life for college students. But I have witnessed enough move-in days to know that it’s not always as singularly joyful on the parent side of things. 这是有原因的。 Leaving your student behind is scary, uncertain, and maybe even disorienting. 这违背了我们作为母亲的本能。 So, how do we navigate these emotions in a way that is faithful and helpful for our son or daughter?
While Scripture doesn’t have a chapter devoted to dropping a student off at college, we do find a story about a woman who walked through similar emotions when she left her child at the temple. Granted, the situations are very different, but the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel provides a helpful way forward for moms dealing with these big emotions.
汉娜保持乐观。
In 1 Samuel 1, we get a sense of Hannah’s deep desire for a child, and we see her persistent prayer for a son. 它的描述令人揪心。 She longs to hold a baby in her arms and to experience the blessing of motherhood. But she also remembers that ultimately any child she is given belongs to the Lord (1:11, 22, 28). This truth works itself out through her actions. Using our sanctified imaginations, we can picture the scene in all its emotion—the tears, the sweaty palms, the pit in her stomach—as she takes Samuel to the temple and leaves him there. She does so because she knows that Samuel belongs to the Lord; 对她可爱的儿子来说，这是最好的地方。
我们很容易相信孩子是属于威尼斯人平台。 但他们没有。 的y belong to the One who created them, sustains them, saves them, sanctifies them, knows them, loves them, and promises to never leave or forsake them. It is safe to say that Jesus loves your college student even more than you do. He is even more invested in their wellbeing, growth, and character than you are. God lends them to us as a blessing and a gift and gives us the opportunity to partner with the Holy Spirit in forming their love for God and His kingdom. So, when you feel the temptation to hold on tighter, to micromanage, to over-protect, or to succumb to despair as your student moves into the dorm, remember Whose they are. 他们是属耶和华的。 This is a new opportunity to practice trusting the One who loves both you and your son or daughter.
哈拿对上帝说话。
Immediately after Hannah leaves Samuel in God’s care at the temple, she approaches God in prayer. I Samuel 2:1-10 records a beautiful prayer full of deep theology (theology echoed in Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1:46). We’ll get to the theology in a minute, but let’s pause for a second and consider the beauty of this faithful response. In her sad moment, in her deep sorrow, in her uncertain future, and in her fear, Hannah’s heart turns to God.
朋友们，我们可以从这种反应中学到东西。 When you hug your son’s neck one last time or when you squeeze your daughter once more before getting in the car, let your emotions turn your heart to God. 把你的感受和经历告诉耶稣。 He delights to hear you pour out your heart to Him and He invites you to process this challenging moment in motherhood with Him. He not only listens, but we are told that Jesus understands and empathizes with us in those agonizing moments (Heb. 4:15). While you may be tempted to talk to your college student about all the things you are feeling and all the ways you will miss them, talk to God about it instead.
Calling or texting your child constantly might make you feel better in the moment, but it won’t help your son or daughter adjust to college life and it might even hurt the lines of communication. 像汉娜一样，把你的情感带给我们伟大的上帝。
汉娜是一位优秀的神学家。
注意她祈祷的语气：
“我心靠耶和华快乐”（撒上2:1）。
“的re is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
没有磐石像威尼斯人平台神”（撒上2:2）。
祷告是一个奇妙的邀请。 Not only does God answer prayer to accomplish His work on earth, but it also acts as a truthful echo chamber. When we tell God who He is, our own words echo back to us and shape our hearts and affections to believe and lean into God’s character. That is the only reason Hannah can “exult in the Lord” in her season of loss. She knows what is true about God and her prayer is an act of remembering those truths. If God is holy, set apart, and her rock, she has every reason to trust Him with her son and with her broken heart.
但请注意以下经文中的其他内容：
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
的 barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
耶和华使人死，也使人活；
他使人下阴间，也使人上升。
耶和华使人贫穷，也使人富足；
他使人卑微，也使人高尚。
他从尘土中抬举贫寒人；
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world (vv.5-8).
Hannah has good theology about God, but she also has good theology about the reality of living in a broken world where there is hunger, death, poverty, barrenness, and neediness. Her prayer does not reflect an expectation that all will be sunshine and roses, but it does reflect a deep conviction and hope that one day justice, peace, and mercy will reign because God is on the throne.
把你的孩子搬进宿舍是神学意义上的“橡胶遇见道路”。 You are not guaranteed that your daughter or son will have a safe, conflict-free, successful, easy, or fun-filled experience at college. But you are guaranteed that God is on the throne and that no matter what happens, He loves them and is for them. 无论发生什么事，他都爱你，支持你。
送学生去大学是一种充满感情的经历。 As you feel those varying emotions, bring them to the Lord in prayer. 提醒自己他是谁。 相信他今年会在你的学生和你自己身上做一件好事。
作者Stephanie Formenti，威尼斯人平台教会门徒助理。 This article originally appeared on 鼓励, the blog for PCA women.