MACOMB TOWNSHIP, MI – Being a mom is one of the most rewarding, yet terrifying, roles of my life. I have two children, Nathan is 12 and Abigail is 6. They are so different, and bring me joy in so many ways. However, I never knew before becoming a mom, all the fear I would experience in this role.
As moms, we tend to worry a lot about our kids. In every stage of life, there is something new for us to worry about. When our kids are babies, we tend to worry whether we are feeding them enough. We worry about them when they sleep. Now, we have monitors with video, temperature, and movement readings. We baby proof the house so there is no way they can hurt themselves, and we do all this before they even start walking! When they become toddlers, new fears set in. We follow them around like little helicopters to make sure they don’t fall down, get hurt, or put something in their mouths that might choke them.
When my son Nathan, first started school, his bus was an hour late dropping him off on the first day of school. I freaked out. Instead of thinking through the rational reasons why his bus may have been late (first day of school, traffic, driver learning the new route), my mind started spiraling into all the thoughts of the bad things that could have happened. It was a miserable hour that I waited, and yes, I called transportation a few times!
This past summer Nathan was old enough to go to summer camp with our youth group. I came up with many reasons why he wasn’t old enough or ready to go away yet. After talking to my husband, our youth pastor, and praying about it a lot, God showed me that it was my fear that was keeping me from allowing him to go.
I love this verse:
Psalm 139:16 - Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
This verse has made all the difference in my life when it comes to fear and worry. All my kids’ days were written in God’s book, before any of them come to be! I can rest in that! No amount of worrying will ever change what God has ordained for my kids’ lives. When I started reciting this verse and truly believing it, it started changing everything!
What about you? Do you have a hard time trusting God with your children? God is sovereign. Sovereign means God is the supreme authority, and all things are under His control. If we truly believe that God is sovereign, then we can trust God with our kids’ futures. He loves them more than we do because he created them. When I sent Nathan to camp last summer, the fear definitely creeped in. I was in tears as the bus pulled away. Every time a fear would come into my mind, I would stop and pray and thank God that he loves Nathan more than I love him, and I would ask God to protect Nathan and keep him safe. Then I would leave Nathan in His hands. The Bible says to take every thought captive, and make it obedient to him. I now refuse to dwell on what I can’t control.
This Mother’s Day, I want to challenge you to surrender your kids to God. We aren’t in control anyway! Trust that God has a good plan for their lives, and that He is in control.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Blanchard is married to Scott Blanchard, pastor of Lakepointe Church, and moved from Florida to Michigan in the summer of 2009 to plant Lakepointe Church in Macomb Township. They just celebrated 9 years of God’s blessings and faithfulness on their church! She is Head of Volunteer Experience at Lakepointe and she loves helping people find their “sweet spot” in ministry. She also leads women’s life groups and loves walking beside them in their faith journey. She is passionate about helping women find their purpose in who God created them to be.