Parents Sometimes Have To Let Go

It is not my job to think about myself. My job is to think about others. It is God’s job to think about me. “How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God. How vast is the sum of them. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” Psalm 139-1718.

You know as a dad I constantly worry about my boys. I want them to do well in school. I want them to have good friends, healthy relationships and all that they could ever need. I want them to eat right, to learn responsibility and to have a happy childhood. I want them to always know what love is and to be happy with their station in life. I want them to always be well and to always know what is wrong and what is right.

If I had to guess, I’d probably say that half of my thoughts are about my boys.

But as a dad I also know that sometimes I have to let go. I have to let them learn to do their own thing and forge their own way in life. And that leaves me in constant conflict with myself.

“Do I tell him not to do this?” or “Should I go ahead and just pay for that thing he broke, he really needs it.”

If I’m always this conflicted with just three boys, I can’t even imagine how God feels. The Psalms tell us that God is always watching over us. Always hoping for the best. Constantly worrying and always forgiving. Wondering if our freewill is really worth it, but then being proud when we do the right thing.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of the way God must feel, I have an overwhelming sense of love. Someone really does care. Someone really does worry and fret and pace back and forth about me. And, someone remembers the person I am and hopes for the person I can be.