"Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" 

Matthew 6:26-27 (NLT)

 

As we have entered this new season called the end of the school year, some of us are faced with the challenge of letting go. My daughter and I are facing this challenge as one of our birdies is preparing to leave the nest. No, she’s not going into the military, just to college. Which seems just as scary to me.

 

As she has grown into womanhood, which seemed to have happened suddenly, we are having to release our birdie into the real world. Wow! I know, it’s something to think about. But if we have prepared them well, we can expect that they will do well. However, we can’t expect perfection from them just because they are now legal adults in the eyes of the school, the state, the country, and the world.

 

This transition is so exciting to the students, but to the parents, it’s the scariest season we know of. Probably because we just thought that it wouldn’t come so fast and seem so cruel. Our babies are leaving to pursue their dreams, and to establish their own identities in life, career, relationship, and someday, marriage. Although the battle for freedom has been taking place since the age of 13, we still seem unprepared to release them.

 

Yes, we smile. And yes, we cheer at the graduation. And we even celebrate their accomplishments, but then reality sets in. They are leaving.

 

As a grandmother/guardian, it’s been a trying time just to get to this point. Through the suffering my daughter and the children have undergone, and through my suffering as a co-parent, it has been challenging. But watching my granddaughter take authority over her educational challenges, while enduring her own personal challenges, family challenges, relational challenges, and life issues; has helped me to know that she is more prepared than I thought.

 

As I was praying, God reminded me that she belongs to Him, and she is simply on loan to us. Whew! That’s a relief. That means He is personally responsible for her well-being and good success, not us. But it also reminds us that He has entrusted us to raise our children for His glory, and now we get to release them back into His care. He trusted us with them, now we must completely trust Him with them.

 

As our young adults take the plunge into adulthood, we need to remember that God is in control, even though we have to relinquish our control; to Him and to them. The best thing we can do now is pray with them, pray for them, and trust the process of them becoming who God wants them to be. We have taken them as far as we can. Now, He must take them the rest of the way so they can soar in life. If we look at the title: Letting Go, all we have to do is add a “d” and we have the answer; Letting God!

 

Prayer:

Father, I must be honest with You and let You know that I am terrified of letting my child go off into adulthood without me watching over him/her. But I know that my assistance as a parent is taking a back-seat to their freedom of choice and to their growth. When I get nervous or anxious, comfort me by reminding me that You are there with them, just as You are here with me. And when they feel anxious or nervous, remind them that You are there with them to see them through anything. And if they feel a little lonely, please just remind them that they can just call home and get some verbal TLC. We release our birdies from the nest, trusting that You will care for them as You care for us and all the little birdies. Thank You, Lord, for giving us your precious children to raise, care for, and to send out into the world to accomplish your purpose for their lives. In the name of Jesus, amen.