Unseen

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I was speaking to a neighbor today who said to me, "Your house is going to be pretty quiet in a couple of months!"  She's right.  She is referring to the fact that three of our four children will not be at home.  One has officially moved out and is on her own, two others will be attending college in the fall, which brings us from having four children in our home to one.  Lucky for the youngest (which happens to be the only boy); I believe he will be having the privilege of not having to share as much shower time with his sisters anymore!!

This led me to think, though, about the process of departure.  As we blended our family over eight years ago, we faced many challenges.  How do we go from two families of three to one family of six?  How do we try and ensure there is enough "shower time" and "alone time"?  How do we raise four teenagers to rely on The Lord for their strength and sustenance?  There were many questions, and we faced them together, as parents and as a family.  We watched our children mature over the years and were able to be there for many of their achievements thus far.  We have also been there for some of their difficult moments, and we have tried to navigate through those as well.  Through it all, there has been much worrying, much talking, great rejoicing - and an enormous amount of prayer.  We have prayed together, we have prayed separately, we have prayed in desperation, and we have prayed in joy.  Prayers have been focused on what we saw was needed or what we needed to be thankful for.

Now, comes the true test.  The departure.  As parents, I am sure there are many of us out there who worry and are concerned for our children.  Yes, today's world is VERY different than when we grew up, in so many different ways.  Whether they depart for a day at school or a year at college or a lifetime on their own, as parents we have concerns.  It is hard to raise children in this "day and age".  I am sure our parents said the same of their generation.  Raising children is a quest we don't take lightly.  Many times, though, we are able to see their reactions, see their joys and pains, see their frustrations and happiness, see how we can possibly impact their lives.

It is when we can't see them, when they move on to different journeys in their lives, that we (I) have difficulty.  This, is where our faith in the unseen comes in.  This, is where our faith in a loving and trusting God comes in.  For it is THIS faith, the simple faith that we need to believe God will watch over and provide, that gets us through each day when our children depart.  We may not be able to see our children each day and watch their activities as we used to when they were toddlers or in grade school, but we know that the Great Protector is there, doing a far better job than we ever could.  Having faith means that we realize that The Lord, the Heavenly Father, will bring everlasting comfort to our children.  He will be able to see them when we cannot.  That brings me much peace.

As our oldest is vacationing in a foreign country, and our two middle children are preparing for college, and our youngest gets ready for another year of high school in a month or so, the departure becomes less scary - knowing and having faith in the unseen.  Have faith, simple faith, that our Dear Lord is always with our children.  Please believe me when I say, He will always do a far better job as a parent than I could ever do!  Have the faith that God provides.  Pray, smile, and know they are in VERY good hands.

P.S. - This certainly doesn't mean that I won't miss them all when they are gone . . .  it will be very quiet in a couple of months. :)  Get ready for some fun, son~~

"For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight"  (NIV)  2 Corinthians 5:7