Reflections

I am 46 years old. I have lived only 25 years of my adult life. God willing I have 40+ more to go!  Pretty exciting if you think about it. I’ve seen so much “life” already! To think that there are so many more adventures still waiting to be discovered…Yes! I look forward to them all.

If the last 25 years are any indication, the next 40 will not be all sunshine and rainbows. But if I have learned anything at all, it is that God is in control of it all. He is faithful to provide for me, faithful to lead me, fully trustworthy with my dreams and desires.

 

My son graduates high school this week. He is my only son. I have tried my best to prepare him for adulthood. My experience with him has been entirely different than with his elder sister, and will be with his younger sister. He is a man now. I could not be more proud. And yet I realize that he is just beginning to understand what it means to be a man. And God will teach him so much more along the way. I look forward to watching his adventure unfold.

We were talking this morning about life transitions. The transition from high school to adulthood is one of the most dramatic of our lives. One minute everything makes sense. There is an order and a process; the expectations are clear and success is measurable. The next minute? Complete freedom. The sky is the limit and nothing is certain. That kind of freedom can be overwhelming to a person. And I ask myself as a parent, have I done enough? Are my adult children ready? Did I leave anything out? Did I forget something really important that they will struggle as a result of later on? I pray daily for each of them, knowing that God has them in His hands. They are covered by His saving grace and nothing can separate them from Him.

Life is full of lessons and challenges. Kids are great for a parent’s prayer life! They challenge, they push, they stretch the patience of even the strongest parent. But kids are amazing. They make us parents become better people. They give us purpose and help us define our meaning, if only for a season. They add richness to life as nothing else can.

I tried to show them the importance of working hard, and being proud of a job well done. I tried to show them the joy of independence and the importance of dependence on God. I tried to show them how close God is and how prayer changes everything. I tried to show them that it’s never too late for a do-over. I tried to show them that God willing they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. I tried to teach them to never give up, the importance of family and the necessity of adventure. Laughter really is the best medicine and forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself or someone else.

I hope that one day they are as proud of their children as I am of them. I pray that they too will realize the joy of watching their children succeed as I have. I pray that one day they will understand how much I love them.

I did not do a perfect job. Their lives are full of examples of what not to do. Full of mistakes and uncertainties. But they are also full of joyfulness, playfulness, and dreams just waiting to be fulfilled. I made mistakes. They will too. That’s what grace is for. I hope they will cling to the joyful moments, taking with them an example of kindness and peace. I hope they will forgive the hurtful times, when I completely missed the mark. And most of all, I pray that they seek Jesus first in their lives; that they lead their children toward a life with Christ.