These past several months we have been on auto pilot as we cruised through the motions of picking up our lives in Az and moving everything 2000 miles across the country! I was surprisingly numb up until the days became numbered and I knew that life as we had known it was about to change! As we spent our last days and then hours with family and friends, I was warmed with the realization that all of the tears only came out of love. I was overwhelmed with incredible gratefulness for the circle of family and friends that were so deeply embedded into our lives!
Working through my own emotions on this roller coaster ride of life change has been miniscule compared to worrying about how our kids will handle it all. My husband and I laid awake many nights discussing and planning for the Big Reveal. Overall, the news was taken pretty well. We knew that our oldest who is 13 would probably struggle the most, as making new friends isn’t on the wishlist of most girls this age. We had taken the kids with us for a house hunting trip in Charlotte a few weeks before the final decent. As we sat at the airport waiting to fly back to Phx, I looked over and noticed our daughter reading her Bible. It was such a bitter sweet moment, seeing her spend time with her Heavenly Father among the hustle and bustle of the airport, but as her mama- knowing she was doing more than just reading! My baby girl was seeking comfort from the pages that lie on her lap. It was so hard not to walk over and give her a hug… to tell her that everything was going to be ok. But a voice inside me whispered for me to let Him have a moment with her- for only He could give her what she was truly needing.
It is one of the hardest things as a parent, watching your kids navigate through life’s changes, heartache, and struggles- and not be able to just throw a band aid on it and make it all better! 13 years into this ride, I am learning that sometimes they have to go through things in order to grow. How relevant a lesson this is as God’s children ourselves. He hears our cries, our requests, and knows our every need. But sometimes I believe He intentionally allows us to remain where we are because it is during moments like these that we draw near to Him. The Lord gives us just what we need in those sweet moments of prayer as He fills our spirit with His peace. A quiet comfort that only comes when we sit still before Him. He knows that instant answers are not always what is best. The refinement and faith comes from the trials and the endurance. “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold- though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:7
So my prayer as a mom is to learn when to intervene in my children’s struggles, and when to sit back and simply pray!! Sometimes I envision my hands held open as I surrender my greatest blessings to Him. Their Heavenly Father is their most valuable source of strength and direction, and it is up to us to teach them how to go to Him during ALL of life’s moments by watching us do the same in ours.
With Love- April
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Thank-you, April. I will pray that your new nest will be blessed and that you stay in God’s loving care.
Linda Pattetson Mencel (Beck’s mom)