I remember hearing it a long time ago, when I was just at the beginning of this journey called parenthood.
We are merely stewards of the children God gives us.
As I prepare to see the second of my two children enter the covenant of marriage, I’m once again reminded how fast the years fly by until they’re gone. When someone comments about how wonderful my boys are, I usually demure and say it has nothing to do with me — it’s all God and their dear father, but then I know that’s not entirely true.
For good or bad, I’ve played a part in how my children turn out.
Just writing that down is terrifying. Yet, even on the day I write this post, I had a wonderful conversation with a friend about her children. I love her kids and always want to catch up on how they’re doing, where they are, and her latest “stories.” There are always “stories,” but then again, every mother has them!
She is a hero in my book, as she adopted her children when they were young. She and her husband raised them well, gave them love overflowing, along with the necessary discipline always required with child-rearing. Today, however, she shared a hard thing. A child who thought that discipline overbearing, decided to seek out life with the biological parent, though they later confessed it wasn’t possibly the best decision.
How that must have hurt, and I asked her as much. That’s when she revealed such wisdom: “You do the best you can, but ultimately they have to make their own decisions.”
We are just stewards.
Whether biological or adoptive, all parents are entrusted with the children in our lives for a blip in time. You don’t have to be an adoptive parent to have a child tell you, “You’re the worst parent ever and I’m never speaking to you again!” No one has a corner on that market in parenting.
As we agreed together over this thought, I thanked the Lord for this brave woman and what she’s taught me about parenting. I am also so thankful for the men my boys have become, while fully aware there is a high probability of them making decisions in the future I would disagree with.
That’s OK. I did my part as faithfully as I was able by God’s grace.
I leave the rest to Him.
Holding on a bit tight to those God’s entrusted to your care? Trust Him enough to remind them of your efforts when it counts and let them fly.
Grace and Peace