There Comes a Time...

...when if your prayers are being answered, your child becomes not just your child, but also your sister or brother in Christ. God's been growing this idea in me for a long time, first in my own experience as a daughter...and now, on the flip-side...as a parent.

It's been creeping up on me and I've stood back amazed many times over the last few years as my daughter has grown in wisdom, compassion, discernment, giving and love...and sometimes far outstripping me in the quantity of each. But this past week as bits and pieces of her mission trip to Toronto came out in our conversations and finally with the culmination of her recommending to me...several times...that I needed to read Captivating, God blessed me with the awesome awareness that in some respects, a "line" has been crossed. 

This trip to Canada was one I had to (not so politely) nudge her into doing. When she called me at the border crossing back into the U.S. and said, "yeah...but I wish you didn't have to push me out of the nest..." I  pretty much knew that the Holy Spirit was telling me, "And next time, you won't have to!"

It's been marvelous and beautiful and yes, sometimes painful to behold this process of guiding, teaching, molding and then letting go. But to be able to sit down now with a sister that loves Jesus and still loves me (despite knowing almost every flaw I have) and talk about the things of God...which is all that really matters anyway...I wouldn't trade one tear, one near panic attack, one headache, one smile or one minute of it for anything!

And as I sat beside my son in church today and observed that he didn't just grab the juice and bread and instantly consume them, but rather held them and prayed for a few moments...in that instant I asked God to show me His hand molding the other three as well. They are all on the journey of a lifetime, and while I know none of us are perfect (as they often remind me and each other!) I know that God will not stop the work He has begun until it is completed. (see Philippiians 1:6)

Amen!