Sometimes a business will offer a very nice guarantee. We at Sonlight have tried to take all the fear out of homeschooling with us by giving you a fantastic guarantee.
But something we can't guarantee is the end result: where your children will end up, the path they will follow, their walk with the Lord.
As my children, though still young, continue to exercise their independence, I am reminded more and more that, while they are my arrows from my quiver, I am not walking them to the target, but releasing them on their journey.
My husband and I are doing our best to point them in the direction they should go. We pray for them, with them, answer their questions, and generally are doing our very best to make sure they see the value of walking with the Lord. But eventually, they will make that choice for themselves. We will have to release them. Just like my parents had to do for my siblings and me. At a certain point we were out of their grasp and they are watching us shoot forward, buffeted by the winds of life as we fly toward the finish line.
How scary. How thrilling. What a hold-your-breath, where-will-they-end-up, adventure God asks us to be on in regards to our children.
But friend: be free. At a point, the journey is up to our children and their walk with God.
Be Free
My own parents, if they could have seen the future, would they have sought to protect me from the pain I've lived through? Would they have tried to protect me from foolish choices I've made? And if they had been able, who would I be today?
This past week I was grieving for my 6 year old, who now, 5 years later, still bears the scars of her sister's death. Dave and I have gone through many times of healing. But how does one heal a pain that is almost unknown? I was talking with my sister and I said, "I'm so sad we couldn't protect her..."
But wait.
I am confident of God's plan for our family in our daughter's death. And while I don't understand it, I am sure of God's hand, of His will being done.
So, would I protect her from God's will, from the journey He has her on? While I often don't understand her journey either, God has her on it and is with her. I believe He has not abandoned her and is not surprised by what she is going through.
So friend, I hope that whatever stage you are in with your children, you will be encouraged and freed from any burden that you should somehow be able to guarantee that your children will always make the right decisions and will always follow hard after God. Aren't we grateful that we serve a God who tells us that he welcomes those who wander?
As always, if you have any need that you would like us to pray for, as a staff we gather daily to pray for our customers. Please, let us know if we can be praying for your children, for your spouse, or for you. If you are walking through a time when it seems as though the arrow will miss the target completely, we would be honored to walk with you through that.
Blessings,
Jonelle
