Concerned Parent

Not long ago, a friend of mine was lamenting the choices her adult child was making. The child had walked away from educational opportunities and was making questionable decisions that could have long-term impact on their life.

Parenting isn’t easy, and it doesn’t get easier when those children become adults. Walking the line of expressing your concern while still allowing them to be adults and make their own decisions is tricky. Figuring out just how much you can press into their lives without becoming an overbearing presence is by no means intuitive.

As I listened to her express her concerns, I was feeling blessed that, at least currently, I have none of those concerns about my own children. They seem to have survived my flawed parenting and become capable, responsible, productive adults. They have their own children that they will one day get to have angsty days for.

But then my thoughts travelled a little deeper. I began wondering how often our heavenly Father has those same concerns about each of us. How often has He put opportunities in front of us that we have walked away from, or perhaps didn’t even notice? How often has He wept over the choices we have made, knowing we are endangering our future, both temporal and eternal?

As I considered that, I also realized… whenever I’ve made less than stellar decisions, or just felt like life was out of control, it eventually became clear that God wasn’t surprised. Sometimes He put people in my path to nudge me in a better direction. Sometimes He let things play out but already had a better outcome than I deserved waiting for me at the end.

Through those experiences, I’ve learned to trust Him implicitly. I know He is caring for me. I know He does the same for each of my children, and their spouses, and my grandchildren.

That trust brings me a peace as I walk through each day that nothing else can match. It’s a peace that few things can touch… except when I forget I have a heavenly Father who loves me.

I hope and pray you experience that same peace through God’s love, shown through His Son, Jesus Christ.