Placing all of your hopes and dreams on the surviving child

                                                                     


Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

The loss of a child can mean unconsciously placing all of your hopes and dreams on the remaining surviving child.  You no longer have the hopes and dreams for the one who has died and while you are grieving for those lost dreams you had for that child it is a normal reaction to want to double up your hopes and dreams on the surviving child.   As a dad we want nothing but the best for that child. If we are not careful and we stray from the scriptures it is common to get our view of success from the world's perspective instead of God's perspective.

Which is why I think God reminded me about the verse in Matthew about the little sparrow and how He takes care of them and yet aren't we more important than them? Instead of worrying about every little mistake my surviving child makes I have to allow my son to make his own mistakes and not to take every mistake as a sign that he isn't going to be s successful.

I have to remember that as a kid I myself wasn't the 'perfect' child. I messed up, had up days and down days in school, and yet, God showed me the way I should go. How quickly does it seem we forget that perspective? How quickly do we forget how far God has brought us?

Instead of worrying about my son's future I ought to be on my knees in pray for his future. Instead of worrying what college he will attend, or what career he will complete I ought to pray that our God will guide his choices to the right career he has in store for him. Instead of getting my insight on worldly success I ought to wrap my mind around Scripture and become like Christ. Only then can I possibly see that God loves my child and wants nothing but the best for him.

This song about Matthew 5:26 is a powerful reminder of how much God loves us and provides for all of our needs. Because of that knowledge we can sit back and let God be God and allow him to guide our child to the calling He has for him.