Loaded Trucks & Loaded Emotions
All summer long it’s been a quiet little college. Now it’s hustle and bustle. Loaded vans and trucks pull up to the school, bringing along not only loads of things, but loads of emotions. Students who are anxious and others excited. And parents. Some who are anxious and others who are excited.
I was that parent two years ago. Not so sure what the next few years would be. I’ll be honest…they have been extremely difficult. I always thought, “If I could just make it until my children are 18 and on their own, we’ll be safe.” I’ve found it’s not quite that easy.
I’ve heard, “when they are little they are a handful when older a heartful.” That can be quite true.
But here is what I have found: Jesus is faithful. He is faithful to give me peace when naturally I should be anxious. He has given me hope when things look hopeless. Each and every day He is teaching me the future is His and He is ultimately the parent of my children. The story is not done yet…their’s or our’s.
If you feel discouraged today about your parenting, feeling you have fallen short, messed up – you’re not alone. It’s not just our kids who need saving, we do too! But we can find strength in this: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
Jesus isn’t done with us. Every day He is at work in us and in our children!
If this post is right where you are today, be sure to check out today’s devotion at Proverbs 31 Ministries: Desperate Prayers for Despairing Parents.
Our winner from Wednesday’s post, Whose Opinion Counts? is Staci Dunn Silva. Be sure to send me your address, Staci, at [email protected] and I’ll get “Images of His Beauty” out to you!
I’ll be starting a new series on Mondays – Joy: 6 Weeks to Grasping It! I’ll see you then…be sure to ask your friends to join us!
Thank you, Lynne! Next Friday we will drive our first of five children to college, 4 hours away. It is so exciting and terrifying at the same time. And I am learning to trust Father on a new level. I am sure there will be highs and lows, and I know He will carry us all through them all.
We have homeschooled this dear daughter from day one, so imagining our days without her with us is hard to do. But it is healthy for her to go and she will GROW! For that I am thankful already.
I kind of hoped that your blog would say, “It will all be perfectly fine! The transition is really quite easy and painless. Don’t worry, Momma” but instead you wrote truth and I appreciate that too.
I enjoy your writing very much. Thank you!
Jennifer, I wish I could have written that as well! There are so many factors when our kids leave home: where they are going, their heart, our prayers! Fortunately, God is God and in His grace we can rest, even when things don’t go exactly as planned 🙂
My son is a high school sophomore, but your writing spoke to my heart. Ever since he’s been young, I’ve dreaded when he will grow up and leave home. As he gets older, I work on letting go a little bit by little bit. It’s not easy, but it’s what’s best. God will give me strength when I need it!