Last year my adult son told me that he wanted to take a trip. I said oh, ok. Where you going? He said Spain. He also mentioned that he’d be gone for 3 weeks and see ”a few other places” while he was there. Now I’m not saying that he shouldn’t travel or see the world. He’s a grown man (under 30) and has never gone beyond the borders of the US (except one island cruise) without me. I must admit that when it comes to my children I fight off the control freak mentality. In my mind they are still my babies. And although I raised him well I still had my concerns. I said, ” maybe he’s just bluffing…he can’t be going-can he?” Well, he was going. I saw him over the Christmas holiday and he left about a week later.
I’m certain that I’m not the only parent out there who wants to control everything. I started looking up all the places he wanted to see. I asked him where he would be staying and he mentioned the word, ”hostels”. I’ll just leave that right there. I really stressed about the whole thing until the word of the Lord came to me. He said,” The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save. Do you think that I’m only God in the USA?” That’s when I realized how small minded I had been. Man is not in control, God is. He knows my coming in and going out. My prayers are heard and answered. It didn’t matter what the distance was.
I have a friend who’s going through some serious issues with her child. He’s not in his right mind. She struggles with this because of the same reasons I struggled with this trip. She wants to be in control so that her child is safe. This is a misconception. We mothers believe that when the doctor hands us this baby we birthed that we then take ownership of that person. It’s not ownership. It’s stewardship.
It’s our job to love but it is also our job to guide, direct and exemplify wisdom in everyday choices and then help them to do the same. Essentially planting the seeds of God’s goodness in them. We then have to let the Lord do His job. Protect and Guide. We pray and God listens. We are not in control. He is.
While my son was gone, I checked in with him and him with me. He sent pictures from Spain, Paris and Amsterdam. Places I’ve never seen before-he’s seen them. I’m so thankful to God that he was not only able to travel and take care of himself but he didn’t request any monetary help from me. 3 weeks across the Europe and he still maintained all his bills. That feels good.
It’s not ownership. It’s stewardship. And for those who haven’t seen the pictures they imagined in their minds of their adult children. Don’t lose hope. God hears and answers our prayers no matter the distance. Stay strong in the Lord and forget not His benefits. Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Just keeping it Cristaclear….thanks for reading and God Bless!
Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;