Through Life I've Learned That....

by Kathryn
(Charlotte, NC)

Kathryn

No matter how we try as parents to raise our children in the ways in which we would hope they would travel, they must, in the end, make his/her own choices. God gave us our free agency to do so. I have shed many a tear throughout the turmoil of my daughters' lives. I've been up at 3am talking one of them through a bad trip on LSD. I've spent a year not hearin the voice of my daughter because she was in prison.

I have learned that we are powerless over decisions that our grown children make. When we lay our problems in God's hands, they truly become God's to deal with. We should not take them back from Him, even though He allows us too, that in and of itself is a lesson...a lesson in letting go of control. To stop trying to be the "fixer" of all things. For we can't do this. We are powerless to fix the unfixable. Instead, the Bible tells us to love our children unconditionally. To be there with open arms, hearts, minds and forgiveness for when that child returns to us.

Through my years of trials and tribulations, I have trusted God, my faith never changing. What was my "pay-off" you might ask? The fact that the values instilled in them when they were little stayed with them, somewhere tucked ever so safely away in their souls bore fruit one day. The drugs and alcohol are gone, struggling to regain a foot-hold again in God's love and teachings is evident.

To this end,I have learned to NEVER let go of my children, for I know I do not have control over decisions, but I do have control over my prayers for them and my unceasing love.