One of the most important lessons from the crazy year was learning to let go. Let Go and Let God! was a foreign thought to me. Seriously, He's a busy guy.....He can't nor does He want to do EVERYTHING, right? Well, if the bible is actually true and I believe it is, then the answer is, YEP! He sure does!
Let me clarify a bit. I am not talking about laying around eating bon bons and thinking God will provide or playing the passive game because it's His battle. What I am talking about specifically (because there is so much more than will fill a blog), is allowing God and my faith to allow me to let go of those things which are not mine to hold. This often means people - our children as they grow, our spouses, our co-workers and friends, and anyone else we want to control. Let's talk about our children.....
Our children grow and at each age it seems there is a new opportunity for parents to let go. I remember after my oldest daughter died how difficult it was for me to allow my youngest daughter to do the simplest things. With the help of a friend who jolted me back to reality with the words, "This is NOT you. You are the mother who lets her kids do things the rest of us question. This is out of character!" It was a funny comment as well as the catalyst to reconciliation with myself. So, with that kind reminder, we moved past the fear.
At every age, there were experiences and natural growth stages where she would step out by herself. This child, being of an independent nature, once told me while we were shopping at the mall, "Mom, I'll be right back. I want to go look at something else." This would have been fine and dandy had she been older than age two! You might imagine she offered many challenges in the "letting go".
I remember vividly the first time I allowed her the freedom to attend a water park with a group of friends (without me). I dropped her at the front gate and felt my heart stop, my breath disappear and panic begin to move through my veins. But, after a good healthy "self-talk" session, I drove away confident we had taught her enough to handle this outing.
During her later years, there was dating, driving, working, and the day I dropped her at her dorm in college. Tears, fears and hope intertwined in my heart over and over again. Soon, she will graduate and move into the next stage of her life. Yet, another opportunity to let go.
The self talk sessions: reminding myself, this was the goal and praying to God allowed me to work through my need to hold her close. I spent all these years teaching, raising, inputting and influencing her to be an adult woman. Rather than holding tight to our children, we learn to let them go and grow into their own being. This is God's design. We raise, nurture, discipline, support, encourage and love them more than we can measure. And we are called to let them go.
My prayers for my daughter often included asking God to fix my mistakes for there were many. Daily, I still ask Him to intervene on her behalf. I also asked Him to give me wisdom to make the best decisions throughout her growing years and for the ability to follow through on His prompting. Many decisions were the right ones, some were not. Some decisions were changed and sometimes I had to apologize to my child for making the wrong choice. All in all, we made the journey and continue to walk. Parenting is an amazing adventure - not for the light of heart!
Lesson for today: God loves our children far more than we do. He knows them better; He sees their past, present and future. He has blessed us with the job of raising them and trusted we can do the job! For my non believing friends, trust your parenting! You've taught them, right? They know how to handle the situation. Allow them to practice what they've learned.
Let me clarify a bit. I am not talking about laying around eating bon bons and thinking God will provide or playing the passive game because it's His battle. What I am talking about specifically (because there is so much more than will fill a blog), is allowing God and my faith to allow me to let go of those things which are not mine to hold. This often means people - our children as they grow, our spouses, our co-workers and friends, and anyone else we want to control. Let's talk about our children.....
Our children grow and at each age it seems there is a new opportunity for parents to let go. I remember after my oldest daughter died how difficult it was for me to allow my youngest daughter to do the simplest things. With the help of a friend who jolted me back to reality with the words, "This is NOT you. You are the mother who lets her kids do things the rest of us question. This is out of character!" It was a funny comment as well as the catalyst to reconciliation with myself. So, with that kind reminder, we moved past the fear.
At every age, there were experiences and natural growth stages where she would step out by herself. This child, being of an independent nature, once told me while we were shopping at the mall, "Mom, I'll be right back. I want to go look at something else." This would have been fine and dandy had she been older than age two! You might imagine she offered many challenges in the "letting go".
I remember vividly the first time I allowed her the freedom to attend a water park with a group of friends (without me). I dropped her at the front gate and felt my heart stop, my breath disappear and panic begin to move through my veins. But, after a good healthy "self-talk" session, I drove away confident we had taught her enough to handle this outing.
During her later years, there was dating, driving, working, and the day I dropped her at her dorm in college. Tears, fears and hope intertwined in my heart over and over again. Soon, she will graduate and move into the next stage of her life. Yet, another opportunity to let go.
The self talk sessions: reminding myself, this was the goal and praying to God allowed me to work through my need to hold her close. I spent all these years teaching, raising, inputting and influencing her to be an adult woman. Rather than holding tight to our children, we learn to let them go and grow into their own being. This is God's design. We raise, nurture, discipline, support, encourage and love them more than we can measure. And we are called to let them go.
My prayers for my daughter often included asking God to fix my mistakes for there were many. Daily, I still ask Him to intervene on her behalf. I also asked Him to give me wisdom to make the best decisions throughout her growing years and for the ability to follow through on His prompting. Many decisions were the right ones, some were not. Some decisions were changed and sometimes I had to apologize to my child for making the wrong choice. All in all, we made the journey and continue to walk. Parenting is an amazing adventure - not for the light of heart!
Lesson for today: God loves our children far more than we do. He knows them better; He sees their past, present and future. He has blessed us with the job of raising them and trusted we can do the job! For my non believing friends, trust your parenting! You've taught them, right? They know how to handle the situation. Allow them to practice what they've learned.
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