Guest Author - Jenna Robinson
“All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.” Isaiah 54:13-14
If you have children who graduated this year then, like me, you have children who will leave the security of your home soon. My daughter moved out and it was a difficult adjustment for me. I have been worrying constantly that she is safe and warm, well fed and happy, and that people were being nice to her. The Bible tells us not to worry or be anxious for anything; but it’s been hard. For 18 years she has been under my protection and my care; and then all of a sudden she’s gone. (Ok, so we saw it coming for a while!) I find myself asking the Lord to take care of her in my place. Kind of like a surrogate parent or a babysitter while I can’t be there. What I realized, and kick myself for, is that I was the caregiver and surrogate parent for God’s child. I kick myself because I knew this all along. I remember times when I would look heavenward and declare, “Do you see what YOUR child has done now?!” My kids would dissolve into gales of laughter and remind me that I was in charge of them while they lived with me. Now one of them doesn’t live with me anymore and I’m not in charge.
I have to trust the Lord to step in again and direct my child like he has directed me in my life. What is so scary is all the mistakes and heartache I can’t protect her from anymore. I can only hope that what I’ve taught her through example will carry her through he way it has carried me. I hope that she was aware of all the times I turned to the Lord for comfort and companionship and how I was never lonely even though I may have seemed alone. I ask the Lord now, not for protection for her, she’s got that with him, but for strength for me to be a rock and example to her and my other children who still need me. I ask him to make my life a living testimony for his love and strength so they will follow in my footsteps and allow the Lord to live through them and guide them when I’m not there.
