God gave us a beautiful day for our second campus visit to St. Andrews University! With a true Carolina Blue sky background, we caught the trees right in the middle of their wardrobe change. Some had completely redressed in their new golden garb, while others were still wearing a miss-matched outfit of summer greens and fall reds. As we crossed the bridge from the academic side of the campus back to the residential side, I was struck by the way God planned these changes. We don't go to bed one night with green trees outside and wake up the next morning to vibrant, warm, fall colors and the next day step outside to be greeted by bare limbs. It is a gradual change. It is one we expect and prepare for. Not unlike the changing, we watch our children go through. While I did not sit and contemplate what it would be like for my first child to go off to college when she was toddling around with her pink baby, I guess somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it would happen. So, now that I see her dropping her summer leaves of childhood and donning her more mature colors, I am trying to hide my surprise. As I listened to her converse with professors and future classmates and coaches, I was beaming as bright as the autumn sun! As the time draws closer for her to walk that campus bridge daily, I want her to grow boldly toward her future stretching her limbs for the blue sky while keeping her roots securely buried in the love and support she will always have in God and family!
