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We all cried a few weeks ago at the end of this school year as we said goodbye to Mr. Remedios and Mrs. Colinco (Amber and Maddie’s 6^th and 3^rd grade teachers). They were AWESOME teachers. They taught the girls well, they were sensitive to the uniqueness of the girls’ personalities, they were challenging, and they were fun. They were a large part of why both of the girls said they had a fantastic year in school.

The funny thing is that we didn’t want them as our teachers. Amber and Maddie each had their heart set on different teachers, and they even prayed in multiple family times that God would give them the teachers they were hoping for.

As most parents do, Jessica and I added our own desperate prayers, pleading with God to provide what the girls were hoping for. I remember how our hearts sank when He didn’t. We drove to the school late one night at the end of our summer vacation to see the posted classroom assignments, and we felt deep disappointment upon discovering that neither girl got the teacher they were hoping for.

What we didn’t know at the time was that He was giving them something better. At the end of the year, we were thanking God that He didn’t give us what we asked for—we were thanking Him for knowing best.

I realize that life is rarely as simple as elementary school teacher assignments, but the principle is still true: God knows, and can ultimately be trusted with what matters most.