I don't wear an apron, but it sure feels like it. Today my oldest daughter starts college, my oldest son starts driving and my youngest daughter who is only 12, is going cliff diving in Acapulco. No, wait, that last one was a bad nightmare I just had. Don't worry, I would never let my 12 year daughter go jumping off a 70 foot ledge into a violent shark infested ocean without inviting me to join her. Anyhow, what is a dad to do when his family grows up so fast? How will they survive? I think the right answer is to trust God. Let him be their dad. But where is he? I don't see him, I have never heard his voice, does he sound like Charleston Heston? Trusting God can be harder than you think...especially when it is with your very own precious children. I do know that over the last 49 years he has taken great care of me. He answers my prayers, he has brought the right people in my life when I needed them, his word has guided me through the toughest of personal storms. He has even given me money when I was broke. I once found a hundred dollar bill in my student mail box in an unmarked envelope. I know he made one of his angels personally deliver it to me because it had some glitter on it. So yeah, I know God really is there. If that is true for me, why don't I expect it to be true for my kids? Control, I like to be in control. Sadly, wanting control is a sign I think I can do things better than God. God comes through for me, but it feels like I need to come through for my kids. When did I become the Savior of the World? That is a joke. Just listen to how powerful our God really is: "In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind...He reached down from on high and took hold of me...he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:6-10, 16 &19 After reading God's word I am ashamed of my arrogance. Why do I think I could ever do as good a job of caring for my kids as him? He is Lord! I think most of us will say we believe he exists, but when it comes to real life and our own kids, we stop believing. God isn't just our God, he is our child's as well. And by the way, I realize that I have gotten one other thing wrong, my daughter is no longer a child. She is a very trust-worthy and capable adult. God raised her and crafted her to be that way! So here it goes, I take out the scissors and "Clip, clip, clip!"
2 Comments
Ann V
9/1/2015 08:42:39 pm
Over the weekend my daughter moved out of the house and in with a couple roommates to be closer to work and school. It's hard but she is 20 so I understand. My son Daniel (on the very same weekend) moved from 20 minutes away to Indianapolis for a new job! I am heart broken over this. I pray that he will find a good church, good friends, and that he will be safe. It is very hard indeed to cut the apron strings!
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Paul Newton
9/7/2015 12:47:05 pm
When I was a younger man, I used to think that Job and his daily offerings for his adult children was super obsessive. Now that my children are all adults, I understand his heart's struggle and desire.
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