For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT)
The wise writer of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, knew that there was a time for everything to occur and that to go beyond that time would render one irrelevant, off base and ineffective. And the same is also true for when we need to cling closely to our children when they are young, and to let them go when they grow up. If we try to hold tightly to them when it is no longer appropriate, then we run the risk of driving them away from us or worse yet, the possibility of them making poor choices in their haste to get away from us.
Of course we want our children to know that no matter what happens, we will always be there for them, whether it’s to offer advise, to provide help, or to have a soft place for them to land when life hits them hard. Keeping the lines of communication open is of paramount importance. Our role as parents doesn’t come to a hard stop just because they want to move out, no matter HOW happy we are for them to get out of our hair! They will continue to need our guidance and for us to share our valuable life experiences with them.
And so that is where I am right now. My only daughter is moving out this weekend and even though I still have one more college student and a middle-schooler living at home, there’s a tug on my heartstrings with her anticipated move. We have an excellent and open relationship and I believe that I have laid the right foundation for her to grow and live by. But this is still hard for me none the less. I will commit her care and safety into the Lord’s hands and pray for her always. I must heed King Solomon’s words that this is her season for change to occur. And mine too.
theipinkdiva57 