“Mommy, can I go outside and play?” Maybe this sounds familiar to you moms out there…your child, asking to go outside without you, when they were finally old enough. As they grew up, they were able to do more and more on their own, because they were ready.
I stayed at home with my kids for most of their young years. It was exciting to watch their first steps toward independence, and even though they are older now, they are continually achieving new levels of that independence. In many ways, my ability to influence their paths is done. Like many mothers feel when they get to this stage, I have times I would love to do again, things I wonder if I said enough, and things I wish I could do more of, but it is time to watch them be men. Every day, they are making their own choices and decisions and I have to trust that they are ready for them all.
Thankfully, there is a very powerful tool that God has given us all.
God has given us the gift of prayer.
Like all of those who will receive that gift, I can pray to God and ask for His hand over my children.
Prayer is an incredible thing. We can pray anywhere, anytime, and God hears them all, no matter what. Many times, it feels like the only thing we CAN do. Whether it be a time of joy, fear, sorrow, or anything else, prayer it helpful in every situation. Over the last year or so, my kids have really started to step out into the adult world, and I was shocked by some of the feelings that kept coming up in my “mom” heart. In those times of worry, I had a huge realization that continues to be part of my prayers for them both….
Our children are not just our children, they are God’s.
God loves them, just as much as He loves all of us.
He has plans for their lives too. He watches over them and wants the best for them, just like we do. It’s not just our burden. He has been there for them so many times in the past. He has protected them from things we never knew, and we just have to trust that He knew who their mommas were going to be, and He will continue to be with them, even when we are not.
Maybe you need to know today that God is watching over your child. Maybe you need to know today that He knows everything you pray about, knows everything you worry about, and He knows how much you worry.
Take those feelings to Him.
As my kids get older, my prayers change, but I still want them to be safe, I want them to be happy, and I want them to know that their God loves them.
God hears your prayers.
What a beautiful thing that we can lift up those we love to the One who knows exactly where they are right now.
There is peace in knowing that we have done something for our children, even when they don’t live in our homes anymore.
I knew that watching my boys grow up and move away would be hard, but it has been a little harder than I expected. There is no way to truly prepare for it, and I have struggled a lot more than I thought I would. I am not afraid to admit that. I’m not the first mom to walk this walk, and I wont be the last, and if you are raising kids, or if you are an influencial part of a childs life, I encourage you to pray for them. I often realize that I should pray, not as a last resort when things are tough, but as something I do first, before anything else.
The best thing we can ask for, is for our kids to know the love of their heavenly Father as they get older.
One of my favorite prayers for my sons lately is a phrase from a song that has been in my heart for a couple of months now….
Dear God, “Help him know You’ll never leave his side.”
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