Since she asked

“What is the most wearying part of being a grown-up right now?”

That’s what Beth Moore is asking me today on page 120 of Day Two, Week Five in the Children of the Day study.

My heart wells up with an answer that comes in tears. I want to let that suffice, wipe the wet stuff off the page of the book and move on quickly.

But that is not what Bible Study is about.

Bible Study isn’t filling in some blanks and getting the answer right and then getting up and moving on to the next thing.

No, not at all.

So I let the tears fall for a little while and finally I can get an answer down on paper.

I believe that this will not be the most wearying part in the future…today? next week? next year?…. So I date it and I even put the time.  And I write what is wearing me out and wearing me down in a sentence that fits in the space provided.

It is a valid concern for our children. Oh sure, they are adults now. All grown up and making their own decisions and way in this world. And in many ways, I marvel at all that they have become.

But they live in a world that is full of physical and spiritual land mines. Lines are increasingly blurred and we are seeing the prophetic words warning; that men call evil good and good evil, fulfilled in a rapid spiral downward.

Violence covers the pages of the paper. Illnesses spread at alarming rates. Children and women are exploited in every country.

And in the midst of it all, I am not sure where every day life is carrying our own these days.

When we raised them in our home, we could look in their eyes and tell the condition of their hearts. We heard what they were saying, we saw who was influencing them and who they were impacting. We were on the front lines of the battle.

We couldn’t control their hearts, but we could monitor their behavior. Our prayers were from a full on perspective of what we could discern in the daily choices they were making. We trusted God and we saw Him at work constantly.

And while those were challenging and difficult and yes, wearying days of battle; we had no idea how they were building a faith that carries us now. Because now we are in the trenches. We can’t see the battle, but we know it is raging.

Because now, we see their eyes only briefly. For a quick visit, or a picture on Facebook, or a video chat. We don’t know the people they spend their time with, not even their names. We don’t know what or who they are allowing to influence them.

As we respect their autonomy and the story God is writing in their lives, the heart strings of a parent hold fast to the hopes and dreams that in all they do, they are moving closer to Him each and every day. We raised them to let them be who God made them to be, but a parent’s heart never stops loving a child. Parenting is not a “job” with a tenure;  it is a relationship. The dynamics change, but the love does not.

And in this, trusting God becomes more real than anything in our lives.

Holding fast to His promises, praying His Words over them, acknowledging that while we can not see their eyes or their hearts every day, HE CAN….this is everything.

Satan would weary me with the what-if’s.

God strengthens me with the I WILL’s….

He does contend with that which contends with us and our children He will save…Isaiah 49:25

He has begun a good work in them and He will complete it …. Philippians 1:6

He made them and formed them, and all their days were ordained by Him before they ever came on this earth…..Psalm 139: 16

And there are more. So many more. Enough…more than enough… to answer every fear in me, every doubt, every question, every concern.

He is faithful.

He has blessed us, Russ and I, with these – His children.

As they move out and move on, we can partner with Him in the great unknown that is ahead of them and us.

They are…and we are… according to 1 Thessalonians 5: 4-8….Children of the Day….sons and daughters  of the Light of Christ.

When we received Him, He placed His Spirit in us to dwell.

Are you weary today? Rest in His promises. Hope in His goodness.

I truly am praying for you and for me today, that we will see His goodness displayed — long distance or up close!

Heavenly Father, for me and for anyone who might be reading this; for whatever is causing weariness, I pray today for a refreshing. Whether it is the answer to a specific prayer, or the refreshing breath of life from Your Spirit – revive Your people, I pray. Breathe new life into our worn out hopes and dreams. Thank you that you do not consider our concerns to be silly or insignificant. Cleanse and purify the desires of our hearts so that they are in line with Your will. Thank You that you take us in Your arms and hear our prayers, wipe our tears and most of all, thank You that You have the power to do something about the things that are wearing us out. Father, we rest in You today, knowing that in all things You are working to bring about Your perfect will. Increase our faith. Make us bold to proclaim Your Glory! In Jesus’ Name, amen <3

God bless you dear one. Do not grow weary…for in due time…if you do not give up….you WILL reap a harvest!!!! Galatians 6:9