Around this time every year, families experience mixed emotions due to their children’s school vacations and graduations. Parents of children who have done well in school feel proud and forget all the hardships of the past year as they attend award ceremonies and applaud their children’s achievements. On the other hand, when report cards show poorer results than the previous year—or even failing grades—parents naturally feel anxious and concerned.

Our three children also received their report cards, reflecting the results of their efforts throughout the year. After moving into a new parsonage, our children had to transfer to new schools, which brought with it many adjustments and challenges. I was simply thankful that they had made it through the academic year safely, despite the difficulties of adapting to a new environment. The younger two children showed steady improvement, but our eldest, now a high school junior, brought home grades that had significantly dropped compared to the previous year. More than our child, it was we, the parents, who were taken aback.

When her mother asked her why, our daughter tearfully said, “I just don’t like this school!”—her eyes welling up with tears. Hearing this, I was filled with sorrow and regret as a mother. That one, simple sentence, coming from a child who is usually thoughtful and reserved, echoed in my heart.

I felt deep shame, realizing that I had been like a foolish gardener—uprooting a tree in full bloom and replanting it elsewhere without any concern for its growth, then blaming the tree for not flowering or bearing fruit. While smaller trees can easily spread new roots, a fully grown tree struggles to establish itself in unfamiliar soil. Yet our eldest daughter never once voiced complaints about her new school. Instead, she struggled silently to take root, all while juggling overwhelming internal and external responsibilities. She even tried to overcome her loneliness and isolation through volunteer work, always saying things like, “Mom is busy, so I shouldn’t bother her,” while pretending that everything was fine.

It broke my heart. How could I have been so blind as a mother? Why did I act as if my children’s report cards defined their entire worth? When I turned the question back on myself—what would my report card look like?—I realized it was a complete mess. I had failed in every role: as a wife, pastor’s wife, mother, daughter-in-law, daughter, and mission leader. Worst of all, my relationship with God was in shambles. There was nothing to be proud of—only failure after failure. There is nothing more painful than despairing of oneself.

At dawn prayer, I laid out my report card—so full of failures—before God in tearful repentance, seeking His help. And just as He always does, God comforted me, telling me to lay down my burdens and find new strength in Him. Through the eyes with which I had sorrowfully watched my daughter, God helped me realize that He too looks at the report cards of our lives with compassion and concern.

When we succeed, our almighty God rejoices. But when we fail and our lives descend into decline, God also suffers with us. He desires that all His children on earth receive their rewards and live victorious lives. Yet He deeply grieves for those who fall behind on the journey of life.

Thankfully, we still have the gift of tomorrow. But we must remember—today is yesterday’s tomorrow. If we don’t realign ourselves right now and passionately move toward our goals, our future report cards will be no different.

Standing on a downhill slope, for whatever reason, is not always a curse. It can be a hidden blessing. True success cannot come without failure. I thought of a plow being forged in a refinery—pounded and shaped by fire and hammer. I first prayed that my daughter, who once dreamed of becoming a missionary, would now take deep root in faith within God. And I once again held tightly to the promise that the good Lord, who gives us the gift of a new day, always helps us strive toward better outcomes.