Observe, Cheer & Pray!

It’s been even scarier as my children have gotten older and God’s call on their lives has taken them to faraway places. I know God can take care of my children better than I can; it’s just my heart that struggles. There comes a point when knowledge of God’s protection only goes so far.

Yes, I want my kids to learn to be God’s servants—to be givers—but it’s unnerving to think of them traveling to other countries and heading into unsafe situations without me. It hurts my heart to think of the rejection they’ll face. The struggles. The heartache. The mom in me wants to keep my kids safe. To provide for them. To meet their needs. It’s easy to give myself; it’s harder to give my kids.

I’m used to the shaping and squishing. I’m okay with stepping out of my comfort zone. But the truth is, I don’t want my kids to go through discomfort. When they were little babies,I swaddled them just so. I checked for lead-based paint and made sure their toys weren’t choking hazards. I liberally applied sun block, and I enforced wearing hats and mittens to keep off the cold. Yet I know that while giving and serving and reaching out to others isn’t easy, it is where we meet God and experience Him in ways we can’t know within our safety zones. That’s what I’ve discovered.

So in the end, as I watch my kids follow my footsteps, I’ll observe and cheer and do lots of praying. I know, now, that’s been my calling all along—to help shape my kids in a way that will allow them to be flexible in God’s hands. After all, a world is waiting.

Excerpt © Tricia Goyer, Blue Like Play Dough