Children of God

I have been thinking alot lately how hard it must be, as a parent, to let children go.  You spend so much of your time and energy basically in control of most aspects of their lives for the first 18 years or so, and even to some extent, throughout college.  This wonderful baby comes into your world, so new, so full of possibility, and you are so full of hope for their life.  YOU have big plans for that baby of yours, right?  And for the most part, you get to control their clothes, their schools, the choice of car and college are heavily influenced by you, etc.  Well, what happens when their lives take a turn you disapprove of?  What if they choose a college you oppose?  What if they marry someone you don't like?  What if they move away from you?  What if they go to a church you don't like?  What do you do?  

It's hard to picture that in 20+ years my children WON"T need me, because they need me so much now.  I mean, obviously, they'll love me, but truth be told, they won't need me.  Not in the way I will have become accustomed to being needed by them.  Even now, at 2 1/2, Jace is telling me, "NO Mommy.  Let me do it myself, please."  And for the most part she can, at 2 1/2.  What will I do when she's 25?  I look at her now and sometimes think she is still just a baby.  And I know others in our family think that too when they look at her.  But she's NOT a baby anymore.  She's becoming more and more independent EVERY SINGLE DAY.

The fourth commandment is to honor your mother and father.  This commandment encompasses all who have AUTHORITY over one's self, leading with Christ.  But our authority over our children lessens year by year, until they finally assume our authority over their own lives.  A young child's duties to one's parents is, above all else, to obey and respect them.  How does one's duties change as they mature?  Well, "obedience ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed them."  As grown children, it is our duty to show respect, gratitude, and to take care of our parents when the need arises.  But what also falls under this commandment is our duties as parents to our children.  Our first responsibility to our children is to educate them by good example, in all areas, especially faith.  We are to provide for our children in all areas, faith, love, home, and to meet their needs.  But as our children grow, our duties to them change just as much as theirs do to us.  As they mature, "our children have the right and duty to choose their profession and state of life... Parents should be careful not to exert pressure on their children in either" of these choices.  We should show our children the respect they deserve in their lives choices, as well as be there for them with whatever advice we have to offer that they choose to ask for.

It's a life of faith and chance that we live when we start our families.  I have hope in my Lord that he will show Trey and I what we need to know to raise our children.  I hope we are capable of letting our children lead their lives the way they choose.  Our job for them right now is to give them a home that meets their needs, physical, emotional, and spiritual.  No one knows what they need more than we do, and no one (except God) knows what is best for them like we do.  No one on this earth loves them more than we do, and no one on this earth loves us like they do.  What other joy in this life could we ask for really?  Our Lord gives us (trey and I) what we need to have a complete heart, and he provides for us always.  I must remember that all that matters, really, is my husband and our children.  That for us, all that matters is that we are children of God.