Do You Trust Him with Them?

I never believed in sheltering your kids, until I had my own.

I thought private schools were a bit excessive and would accuse parents (in my mind) of being over-protective helicopter parents…until, I had babies of my own.

It’s the same way I used to judge moms at Meijer whose little girls had messy hair.  I would think to myself, is it that hard to brush their hair and put a clip in it.

And then these beautiful babies come.  They stretch our bodies and take bits of our brains forever.  They teach us to survive thrive in chaos, and they walk around with crooked piggytails (that started out even) carelessly carrying our hearts.

I never imagined I would be tempted to be a helicopter parent.  My parents were amazing at giving me the freedom to make choices (and live with the consequences) while I was in their home–I now understand how incredibly hard it must have been to resist rescuing me.

Yesterday, me and the two littlest ones surprised Audrey at lunchtime (her school is always eager for parents to come help at lunch–the teachers can only open so many ketchup packets & Gogurts at once).  Since she wasn’t expecting us, I watched her enter the cafeteria and look for a spot to sit–she attempted to sit by a couple of girls from her class, but the bench was already full.  I watched her awkwardly look around for a different spot to sit for about a second before I sidled up next to her and whispered, “surprise!”

Of course, she was thrilled.  We found some open space and she sat next to her little sister and they enjoyed lunch together chatting amidst the giggles & requests for more napkins and BBQ dip.

And my heart ached.

I replayed the scene in my mind over & over as we drove home from her school.  And the ache in my heart made me want to fix this.

– I could e-mail the teacher

– I could talk to her about making a plan ahead of time with her friends

– I could go every day for lunch

Or, I could trust her Father.

I could trust that He loves her more than I do.  That He created her tender heart in my womb & shaped it to love people deeply, before I even met her.  I could trust that His word is true, and He works all things together for the good (and growth) of my Audrey.

Today, what is it that you want to fix for your baby or protect him from?  Join me in trusting that He is using the unkind words on the playground, the chronic sickness, the awkward cafeteria moments, the difficulty finishing homework, all of it to grow your child into a mighty warrior for the Kingdom of God.

 

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