Step by Step...
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The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23
Tomorrow we will move our oldest child into a dorm.
My head has been preparing for this moment for a long time. My heart has some catching up to do.
He will be okay. I will be okay. We will all be okay.
But, it will be different. And hard at times.
Like, when I make an extra plate for dinner and then remember that he will not be at the table. Or, when I go to his room to wake him up and remember that he is not there in his bed here at home.
So often I think of Mary, the mother of Jesus. How she knew from conception that this boy in her womb was not her own. She knew that he did not belong to her, but to God.
Isn't that the case with our own children?
They are not ours.
We are entrusted to raise them and disciple them, but they are not ours.
They belong to God. They are made in His Image. Bearing His heart and mind.
No one on earth loves my child like God does.
No one on earth knows what is best for my child like God does.
When Jesus was young, he separated from his parents, and they could not find him.
He was in the Temple. Soaking up teaching and the Presence of His Father.
God had already put the Plan in Jesus's heart...even at such a young age.
This is true of our little sheep as well.
We may try to plan their lives, but God determines their steps. [Proverbs 16:9]
They have a trajectory that He alone knows.
We must allow that plan to unfold without hindering it with our own emotions and plans for the child.
The same goes for us, the parents. He has a plan for us as well.
I know no other life but motherhood and duties inside the home.
It is my love and has been my purpose for so many years. Beginning with a childhood desire that was birthed in my heart so many decades ago.
And, it will remain for a few more years this way with a daughter still securely in our nest.
However, a new season still awaits. Change is still unfolding.
I must trust His plan even when it seems different and weird...and new.
He establishes my steps. [Psalm 37:23]
God will prepare you for the next step...even when you have no idea what that step is. You will look back one day and say....oh, I see what He did there.
He is gentle, and kind. He is patient with us. He is a loving Father. He doesn't force our way, but He gently leads us. He takes our hand in His and He walks with us step by step.
We are never alone.
When darkness comes and night surrounds, He is there.
There is no darkness in Him. [1 John 1:5]
Maybe you don't have a child leaving the nest, but there is change on the horizon.
Trust the Lord. He will lead you. He will guide you. He will comfort you.
God never changes. He is ever present. Ever faithful.
May I ask a favor? Will you pray for our family and this transition?
Please know I am praying for all of you as well. Praying for your cup to overflow with God's blessings and goodness! Praying that your faces will shine with radiance the Love and Joy of Jesus Christ. Praying for whatever season you find yourself in, that peace flows through your pulsing veins. A Peace that surpasses all understanding.
looking ahead,
jill
