What Are We Going to Do Then?

Worried about how he and his wife would arrange childcare for their toddler this fall, Jake Frost received reassurance from the voice of experience.

I recently had a booth at a craft fair that was part of a local parish festival. It was a great time! I sold some books and some artwork, which was great, but I also met a lot of great people, which was the real highlight of the afternoon. 

One in particular who stood out was a mother of seven kids. We talked about family, she about her seven kids who are all grown, and me about my five who are still at home. Mine range in age from just over one year old up to a high-schooler on the cusp of driving.  

My older kids are all in sports and activities, which makes for a hectic schedule. 

And my high-schooler thinks she’s excited about her impending acquisition of a driver’s license! 

My wife and I both work mostly from home. The older kids are a great help with the toddler during the day. 

The mom of seven I met at the craft fair zeroed in on the grit in our gears immediately: “Are you worried about what you’ll do when summer’s over and the older kids go back to school?” she asked. 

The voice of experience: she knew! 

Are You Worried? 

Last school year, the baby was ... well, just a baby. Which made things relatively easy to manage: feed, sleep, change diapers.  

Now she’s an active toddler, getting all over the place. And a climber!  

She also likes being read to, being taken outside to play, and she’s used to lots of attention from her siblings. There’s always someone vying for time with baby! 

This child knows she’s loved! 

So, what are we going to do when those siblings are all in school, and my wife and I both have to work? 

Don’t Be 

“Yes, we’re a bit worried,” I said (with monumental understatement).  

“Don’t be,” she advised, “it will work out. It always does.” 

Again: the voice of experience! 

I was encouraged. It was a good word to hear from a mom who’d been through it already and successfully raised seven kids. 

It reminded me of Scripture. How often in the Bible does God tell us: be not afraid, but instead: be faithful, and trust in the Lord. 

Things will work out with the Lord’s help 

As Moses said before the Red Sea, “Do not fear! Stand your ground and see the victory the Lord will win for you today” (Exodus 14:13a).

Even when the very seas bar your way, God can still find a way through. 

Or when Sennacherib came “like a wolf on the fold” with “his cohorts ... gleaming in purple and gold” (The Destruciton of Sennacherib, by Lord Byron), demanding that Israel submit, God answered through his prophet: “Do not be afraid” (2 Kings 19:6), and sent His angel among the Assyrians to destroyed them in order to save Israel and punish the Assyrians for mocking God. 

We are called to be faithful, to stand firm the Lord and trust in Him. We’re not tasked with having the plan all worked out ahead of time.  

We can’t! We can’t see the future! 

As Saint Teresa of Calcutta is reported to have said: “God has not called me to be successful; he has called me to be faithful.” 

Sometimes it’s not up to us to know the plan, but we’re always called to stand with God and trust in Him. 

So Joshua declared: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b) 

How will the school year go? We’re not sure. My wife and I have ideas we’ll try, of course, but we’ll be flexible and see what works and what doesn’t. One thing we know: with God’s help, it will work out. We might not be exactly sure how, but it will work out. 

It always does! 

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Copyright 2024 Jake Frost
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