Happy Friday <3

Last night Russ and I ran to the grocery because somehow, in spite of the fact that I have been there numerous times this week, there were still a few items we needed.

We ran into a mom friend from our son’s high school years. Her oldest was the age of our youngest.

Now her two oldest are out there, like ours were back in the days we spent time visiting on the bleachers and in the yard chairs of various games.

I guess I thought I was full of some kind of hard-earned wisdom having passed through two sets of high school, one and a half sets of college and one wedding at that point. 

Apparently, I managed to actually leave some impression of godliness on her. Because as we stood in the streamers of the balloon display of the floral department and caught up on where all of our kids are, she said something about how she always remembers my advice to just continue to release our children to God and place our trust in Him.

And there I stood…5 years later…. wondering if our son was still in St. Louis with his sister or had made the 6 hour drive back to Tulsa or was stranded on the road or …….and  I thought, wow….that was good advice….maybe I need to listen to my younger self and try that again.

I am not sure where in the world I thought this parenting gig would get easier to release, but let me burst your bubble….the farther away they are, the harder this releasing thing becomes.

And I have to recall what the LORD spoke to my heart many years ago (obviously, when I was a bit wiser)….If you will remain in MY hands…then as you hold them in your heart and release them, there is no space between you and Me.

This remaining in Him, THIS I do. I have no choice. He is my strength and my life. I KNOW that He has me in His grip.

But sometimes I lose sight of the intense love He has for THEM. Sometimes, I let the hype of the talking heads and analysts and theorists of this age scare me.

But greater is He that is in them…in me…in us…then he who is in the world.

So I hold them in my heart and prayers, but I open my hand and let them fall into His.

Thank you dear younger mom friend, for reminding me….<3

PS….that sweet son called to let us know he was home…..=0)