LMKTM: Growing is a Part of Loving

Indulge me for a moment of mom-related nostalgia, please? This morning I woke up to the stark realization that my first-born son, my sweet Joey, is headed to Kindergarten for the first time tomorrow. Suddenly, I was a mess. Tears started flowing like hot lava, and it was as if the whole of the 5 years that Joey has been alive flashed before me in mere moments. I was hit with thoughts of “I could have done more! I should have done more!” I took my tears out into the living room and saw sweet Joey sitting there. I sat next to him and told him how much I love him and how I can’t believe he’s already starting kindergarten tomorrow. He very wisely nodded his head and said, “That’s okay, mom. I’m just growing. And growing is a part of loving.”

I was floored at the truth this little boy had so innocently and unknowingly shared. It reminded me that while my biggest responsibility to Joey is to love him, that I also have to know that growing is a part of loving him. That means watching him grow and praying for him with all my might. As he steps into the world of school, homework, and activities, I pray that God would bless him with favor and success in all he endeavors. I pray that he would make friends and that he would shine in all the precious little ways that God has blessed him. Standing back and watching him soar is as much a part of being a good mom to him as holding him close has been.

Today, pray for your kids. They are so precious, and such a gift of trust from God. Pray that while they’ll always love you, they won’t feel as if they need you at all times, because they are growing and flourishing on their own more and more. Never stop praying for them and over them, every day for the rest of their lives. Who better to trust our kids to than the One who gave them to us in the first place?