As he begins this new adventure far away from home, I am reminding myself of truths that have brought me comfort over the years. The first and maybe the best “mom advice” I received came when I was pregnant with Elijah. I had been concerned that I might be having a miscarriage. I was crying in the teachers lounge and a friend walked in. When I explained to her what I was so anxious about, she told me that this was the beginning of my practice in trusting that God has my child in his hands. She said, “At first we worry about the pregnancy. Then once they are born, we feel the need to check on their breathing in the night. We feel like it is up to us to make sure our children are ok. Then, once they can walk we worry about if they will run into the street. When they learn to drive, it is an even bigger concern. But all of these are opportunities to trust God with our children. We can choose to live lives worrying, or we can pray and trust that God has them. He can care for them much better than we can.” She was not suggesting that we neglect to equip our kids for these stages of life, but she was suggesting that maybe it would be good to also equip ourselves to trust God. In each season when I begin worrying about my kids, I remember her advice and try to shift from fear to faith through prayer.
In a little over a week, I get much more practice in trusting God with my child. It isn’t easy or painless, but God is good. All the time. He will be with me and He will be with my son in this new adventure.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)
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