“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’”
Our kids…
That’s
where many of us would fall short. I am not talking about failed parenting or
unrealized dreams. I am also not alluding to any of our frustrated outbursts or
our mini moments of neglect. I am talking about trusting God when it comes to
our kids – even with their very lives. It’s where I might not pass the test.
Abraham
passed with flying colors. He was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his son. God
stopped Abraham the moment He witnessed his total surrender to Him. Abraham
passed (what is in my eyes) the ultimate trust test.
Could
I be so faithful? Could you?
My
children entered our family through adoption. I see them as children of God –
from God. He matched us with these two energetic and curious gifts, and we
consider ourselves blessed to have the opportunity to raise them. Make no
mistake – when I look at my earthly children, I see His Kingdom’s kids.
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| Source: znconline.wordpress.com |
So,
why is it so hard to trust God with them 100% of the time? Why do I worry about
their health, their futures, and their safety? Why do I doubt God’s plan is
good when my own plans for our children are not turning out the way I imagined?
Stubborn fear still occasionally rips at my ability to fully trust.
Author
Ann Voskamp talks about a concept called “practical atheism.” She explains that
we are not functional atheists. We are true believers in Christ. Yet, when we
choose worry or fear over trust in God, our actions speak louder than our
words. We become practical atheists – those who opt to believe God is not
always good – or that God is not always love. Our worries and fears are
indicators of our lack of trust in a God whose overarching plan is always
perfect.
In
the past few months, my prayer list has been heavily tilted towards prayers for
children. There is the 1-year-old beauty with heart concerns in Texas. There is
a boy down the street who could use a reversal
of destiny[i]
in his life. I have a friend whose son is battling wounds and hurts that any
preteen would have difficulty handling well. A close friend’s child was sick
for quite some time, leaving his family and doctors concerned about hearing
loss. Parents all around me are worrying – for good earthly reasons. I worry
about my kids too – the possibilities for emotional, physical, and spiritual
pain are limitless. We want to protect them as best we know how. However,
there’s a better way to accomplish this…
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| Source: Unknown |
God
loves our children more than we do.
It’s
hard to believe sometimes. But, it’s worth believing every time.
It
may be easy to become a practical atheist in a world with so much pain,
disease, and dysfunction. Instead, I pray that we follow David’s example in
Psalm 31:14, “But as for me, I
trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” Except, I don’t want to just say it … I want to shout it! “You are my God!” In spite of it all,
God is trustworthy and good. And, I will remind myself that this world is not
our home.
I cannot think of a single time – joyful
and celebratory or horrifically painful – when God was not faithful in making
all things work for good. I sure can’t say that about everything I’ve had my
hands in…
Prayer
– Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness
and trustworthiness. I live each day knowing You are by my side and in control,
even when my own decisions fail me. I will lift up my children to You and
completely surrender them to Your perfect plan. For, I know Your love for them
is more than enough. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.
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