Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
As we send our college bound students off to another year of study it is a good reminder that God is ultimately the one that will shape their futures. After all, it was God that brought these young people into our families.
Think back to all of the late night prayers you had with your wife asking for God's blessings on giving you a child. Think of the agonizingly sleepless nights you had waiting for the news you wanted to get. The first words out of your mouth was most likely 'praise God'.
Think of all the late nights of checking on our children when they were sick, or the times when you knew your child needed to be hospitalized. It seems that before you blink an eye you are saying goodbye as they begin their college careers. Our children are only with us for a very brief moment of time.
Time seems to never slow down. We want it to slow down, but when school begins comes the busyness of homework, extracurricular activities, serving as volunteers on their field trips. The pace of their lives continues to accelerate with each ascending grade. There is, it seems, little time to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the beauty of each stage. Life accelerates as we work toward providing summer vacations and memories for our children. We try to create memories of summer vacations to places like Disney World, the north shore, or a simple stay in a cabin.
My wife and I moved our son into the freshman dorm at the University of Northwestern. The separation began the next two days as parents and students went their separate ways to campus workshops. They were taught how to succeed in college and we were taught the importance of letting our son's and daughter's to do things on their own. In essence, we were told that our helicoptering days are over. To realize that we must relinquish control and allow our young adult's to succeed on their own.
Then I realized that it was God who brought them into our world. It was God who helped them through the trials of growing up and it was God who brought them to this place we know as the University. God loves our kids as much as we do and knowing this I know that our Adult children will be in good hands.
Knowing this fact helps us to relax a little, put down our helicopter controls and allow God to take control of their young lives. Our job is complete and now we can sit back and watch the beauty of God's workmanship take place in our children.
Think back to all of the late night prayers you had with your wife asking for God's blessings on giving you a child. Think of the agonizingly sleepless nights you had waiting for the news you wanted to get. The first words out of your mouth was most likely 'praise God'.
Think of all the late nights of checking on our children when they were sick, or the times when you knew your child needed to be hospitalized. It seems that before you blink an eye you are saying goodbye as they begin their college careers. Our children are only with us for a very brief moment of time.
Time seems to never slow down. We want it to slow down, but when school begins comes the busyness of homework, extracurricular activities, serving as volunteers on their field trips. The pace of their lives continues to accelerate with each ascending grade. There is, it seems, little time to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the beauty of each stage. Life accelerates as we work toward providing summer vacations and memories for our children. We try to create memories of summer vacations to places like Disney World, the north shore, or a simple stay in a cabin.
My wife and I moved our son into the freshman dorm at the University of Northwestern. The separation began the next two days as parents and students went their separate ways to campus workshops. They were taught how to succeed in college and we were taught the importance of letting our son's and daughter's to do things on their own. In essence, we were told that our helicoptering days are over. To realize that we must relinquish control and allow our young adult's to succeed on their own.
Then I realized that it was God who brought them into our world. It was God who helped them through the trials of growing up and it was God who brought them to this place we know as the University. God loves our kids as much as we do and knowing this I know that our Adult children will be in good hands.
Knowing this fact helps us to relax a little, put down our helicopter controls and allow God to take control of their young lives. Our job is complete and now we can sit back and watch the beauty of God's workmanship take place in our children.
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