A prayer for going back to school

God of sharpened pencils and Pink Pearl erasers,

Thank You for bringing us to yet another new beginning; a threshold of possibility.

Be with our children as they start this school year with backpacks full of crayons and hearts full of hope.

Give them eyes to see You in all that they learn, and minds to appreciate the beautiful and complex world You have created.

Help them to meet kind friends and to be kind friends, too, with a heart always open towards those who might feel lonely or afraid.

Comfort our own parent-hearts as we entrust our beloveds to their teachers for the day. Give each teacher patience, gentleness, and wisdom in abundance as they fulfill their sacred vocation.

Thank You for lunch with classmates, bright yellow school buses, the smell of library books, children’s art hung on the wall, playing tag at recess, and the thrill of pizza Fridays.

We are grateful for this precious gift of learning, growing, and starting new.

Amen.