This past weekend, some close friends moved their son into college. As they were unpacking, his mom ran across his coffee mug with a crumbled dollar bill in it. She asked him, “What’s with the dollar?” And, he replied, “That’s my Pastor Greg dollar.” Nate is beginning his sophomore year at Syracuse. Last year, as he started college 2 states and 6 hours away, we all went through a bit of a transition. Nate was the first of the kids that “we do life with” who was leaving for school.
I remember the first time he came home to visit. A group of us have season tickets to the local high school football games. We have had those tickets for years. We have watched the kids move from sitting with us, to sitting in the middle school section, to the high school section…and then, one of the kids wasn’t there. He was away at college. This particular Friday night, he came home. And the entire section of parents was so excited that they stood up and cheered. Literally…these parents were so excited that they jumped to their feet and cheered. And, apparently I was so excited that I threw a dollar.
Two things. First, as I think about how we, as parents, felt when Nate came home, I imagine that is just a glimpse of what God feels like when we return to Him. I think He must jump to his feet and cheer. Because, He loves us that much.
And second, I love that the night meant so much to Nate that he saved the crumbled dollar. That dollar reminds him that he is surrounded by a community of people that love him…that are praying for him as he is away at school and that believe in him.