This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15
This might be one of those rambling moments I need to have. I have a problem to work out, and I’m sure as children grow up and become a certain age, every parent faces it. Do you allow them to take part in activities that are great, but may not be the best thing right now? The issue has two sides. My oldest son is getting amazing opportunities, but I don’t feel as if I have all the information I need to be comfortable with letting him go. I want to send him out in the world; I just want him to go prepared.
I take my responsibility as a mom very seriously, as I’m sure most parents do. I need to make sure my child is safe and taken care of without wrapping him in bubble wrap. I think I’ve done pretty well so far! We’ve only been to the emergency room once when he was little. A wooden giraffe’s ear found its way into my little guy’s own ear. Don’t ask…it made sense to him at the time. My point is, I want to keep him safe physically and emotionally, but give him opportunities to grow. Our children need to be in all different situations and make their own decisions to prepare them for future success.
My job, as a parent, is to know what my children have the maturity to handle. I believe a good dose of common sense is what we need and what our children need. God provided it to us for a reason. We shouldn’t allow our children into situations they aren’t prepared for; we need to use that common sense.
I try to give the boys what information they need, prepare them the best I can, and trust God for the rest. I have the perfect example of giving them the proper tools and giving them the freedom to grow. My boys had a wonderful opportunity to go rock climbing and repelling. My response, “Are you kidding me? They’ll be how far up? Dangling with only a rope?” A deep breath was needed at this point and I needed a good talking to. Yes, sometimes I need to have these conversations with myself…don’t judge me…I have boys! I had to say, “Stop acting like a mom and start thinking of the big picture. It sounds dangerous, but here is an opportunity for them to grow. This is them getting to be boys without going to do something stupid without being taught properly.” They had a fantastic teacher where safety was the utmost importance. This wasn’t a time to be carrying on, it was a time to face fears and grow. That’s just what they did. It taught them trust, safety, and awarded them with an awesome sense of accomplishment. It taught them to face a mountain and conquer it! It gave them self-confidence!
When they want to go somewhere or do something, sometimes the problem isn’t even about their maturity; it’s about the safety of the situation. God wants us to go to Him in prayer to let Him guide us in these decisions. He also puts godly people into our lives that can support us when we just aren’t positive. We may be pretty sure we know the answers, but need confirmation.
Opportunities are awesome! Sometimes you should take them, sometimes you should wait, and sometimes you should say no. If you feel you should take the opportunities that require you to put your fear aside, I’d like to remind you (as I have to remind myself) that as much as you love your children, God loves them even more. He is more than capable of handling things when you aren’t around. If you feel should wait, that’s ok. Everything isn’t like on TV where if you don’t act right now, the opportunity will be gone. Finally, if you are led to say no, there is a reason. God is protecting, or He just might have something better planned.
When you are faced with a decision and you aren’t sure what to do, be confident that you can go to God and He will hear you. If you are like me, you might want to stop trying to muddle through on your own when you don’t need to.
