Looking Ahead

I turn 37 today. I woke up this morning and realized I'm quickly approaching the age that I used to think was ancient. As my youngest daughter so politely informed me yesterday, I'm well on my way to reaching 100. (Aren't kids great for your ego?)

I've been a parent for 10 years. My oldest now has fewer years to spend in our house than she has already spent with us. In 10 more years, I'll be 47, and my kids will both have reached the age of 18. I can't believe we're almost halfway to having grown kids.

Just 10 years ago, I was turning 27, and I had a 3-week-old baby. We were just beginning to feel our way through this parenthood journey. Now, I sit here, the mom of a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old.

Ten years ago my parenting decisions revolved around diapers, bottles and sleep. Today, they revolve around teaching good decision making and holding little hands and hearts as they take steps toward independence.

As fast as the time has flown, I wouldn't want to turn back the clock. Oh, I'd like to have my 27-year-old body back. And I miss watching my little ones explore the world. The joy of watching my girls take their first steps and say their first words has been replaced by watching them score their first goals and ace their spelling tests (sometimes).

As I contemplate the next 10 years of my life, I have no idea what God has in store for us, but as I count the blessings of the past 10, I know that His plans are good and the results are great. Oh, the past 10 years have held some big heartaches, and I know the next 10 hold their own challenges. But the past 10 years have held immeasurable amounts of joy. I'm counting on the same for the next 10 because God's plans are good. They are always in our favor.

A long time ago when I was teenager, I picked out a verse that I declared was my "life verse." It's Jeremiah 29:11 where God tells the Israelites, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." The truth of this verse has followed me through some wonderful moments and held me up through some really tough ones.

I know the truth in this verse will follow me through the next years of my life as well. No matter what the circumstances of life throw in my path in the future, I know that God loves me, and He is not out to harm me. His plans are perfect, and they are always for my good, not my harm.

As I embark today on another year of this parenthood journey, I'm going rely on God's gracious promise that His plans for me are good. And, I'm going to teach my kids that even when we encounter heartache and pain, God is planning good things for us. He is offering us joy beyond our wildest imaginings.

Won't you walk into the future holding onto that same promise? And teach your kids the same? Because God is good, and He promises the future holds great things.

Memory Monday: For Such a Time as This (Esther 4:14)

My oldest daughter will turn 10 in June. This weekend, she was telling us how excited she is to be reaching this significant (in her mind) milestone in her life. As we talked, I realized that it seems like just yesterday that she was taking her first steps and saying her first words.

My 7-year-old played two hockey games on Saturday. As I stood in the freezing cold watching her play at the very early hour of 7 a.m., I realized that she was no longer one of the smallest kids on the ice. Sometime in the past four months, she's caught up with several of the boys on her team. She's growing up so quickly.

You often hear parents bemoan the fact that their kids are growing too fast. It's hard to let go of those little girl and little boy years as our kids become tweens and teens. And I don't know about you, but I feel completely under-equipped to deal with being the parent of a tween or teen. Parenting a young child isn't easy, but their needs are pretty basic. Feed them, kiss their boo-boos, make sure they get enough sleep and teach them the basics of faith.

As they get older, though, our kids need so much more from us. They need wisdom, comfort, freedom and answers to some tough questions. As I look ahead, I worry that I won't be up to the task.

Esther felt the same in her situation. She was a fairly young woman who had been thrust into the position of queen. It was up to her to save the entire Jewish population. Speaking could mean her death. Mordecai told her, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)


Such a time as this. God has put you in whatever position you're in -- mom of a toddler, preschooler, elementary-school-aged child, tween or teen -- for such a time as this. He chose you to be the parent of your particular child. Whatever challenges and joys you and your child will face, God knew that you would be the perfect person to deal with them with your child.
 
And, He doesn't expect us to do it alone. God is there to bolster us, offer us wisdom and give us the strength we need for the task. Some stages of being a parent are difficult. We'll face challenges we never dreamed of before we had kids. But, if we rely on God and remember that He put us in this place, at this time for "such a time as this," we can be the parent that our child needs.
 
As you memorize this verse this week, remember that no matter what situations land in your lap this week, God will help you be ready for "such a time as this."