Last week was a big week for us… meaning for my daughter and I. She is almost 9 years old, and growing way too fast for me, and way too slowly for herself. Last week though was one to remember. It was the week she left.

All of her life, she has spent most of her time with us. There’s been no daycare, little babysitting (with trusted friends), and a small number of sleepovers (with the same trusted friends). And we homeschool. She did go on a trip with her dad last year (I had to stay home to care for the dogs ~ our pet sitter canceled at the last minute), but that’s just it… she was still with her dad.

This week though, she got to do something she’s never before done ~ she went to Kid’s Camp with our church. It was a wonderful opportunity for her, and of course, she had an amazing time. Truth be told, I knew she would. I signed her up, and I talked her into going. She was a bit reluctant at first, but the excitement quickly grew as she learned more about it. And of course, many of her friends were going.

When it came time to leave for camp, she did great! Much better than I did. I had such a hard time letting her go. I knew she would love it, I knew she would have fun, and I knew she would have an awesome God experience, but still… it was hard to let her go… and I was a wreck.

But after hugging her about 7,240 times, I sent her off. I knew I could trust the people she was with. And I had a friend who would be keeping a special eye on her for me, who would also be sending me update texts and pictures, for my peace of mind. Still, I cried.

After an eternity 26 hours, she returned to me. She was safe and sound, energized, though exhausted, and most importantly,  she was touched by God. Also, she seemed a little older to me, a little wiser. And she was more connected to friends. I was relieved to have her home, thrilled to hear her stories, and proud that she did so well. (I was even excited to hear about the copious amounts of ice cream she ate ~ even for breakfast!)

She’s growing up and needing me less. She’s still a little girl, but she is changing into an amazing young lady. She is maturing and growing in her independence, and I marvel at the gift God has given me in entrusting her to me. I know that as much as she is mine, she is His even more. And I know that my greatest achievement will be in raising her to love Jesus and serve Him. And I’m grateful when I see glimpses of that in our everyday life, and when she goes away to camp.

Yesterday, in church, a video was played, showing all the kids and activities going on at Kid’s Camp. Of course, I eagerly looked for her… would I see her in the crowd? Yes, I did. Three times. And all three times that I saw her, I saw her doing the same thing… arms raised, worshiping Him. I felt comforted, proud, touched, and blessed. Seeing that did my Mama heart good. Seeing your child worshiping God is a pretty amazing thing.

What this experience has shown me is this… time moves forward, everything changes, children become more independent, and letting go is hard, though necessary. It’s also shown me that maybe she’s not the only one growing up (and having growing pains)… that maybe I am too.