The first week at a new school did not go seamlessly for Brianne’s girls—think uniforms literally stitched together by Grandpa and a roster mistake that put tiny first-grader Lilly in kindergarten. As Brianne advocates for her daughter and wrestles with old wounds about belonging, God keeps inviting her to use her voice and to trust Him with Lilly’s heart—and her own. There’s no neat bow yet: Lilly ended up in first grade with a wonderful teacher and new friends, while Abbie surprised everyone by running into school with joy. The takeaway: God often uses messy starts to reveal cracks He wants to heal in us, our marriages, and our parenting, reminding us we’re never an afterthought. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13, NIV).