Most parents use this phrase on their kids when they discipline them; “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” I think that could be a lie. Perhaps? Okay, maybe not. But when you read the title of this post, I am sure some of you thought about that. Actually, that’s not the truth. I am here today to say the hardest thing that I had to do for my children is…release them.
This all started several years ago. Maleah was four and was about to embark on a new journey called Pre-School. It was here that Sara and I found ourselves at a scary crossroad. It became more evident as we went on throughout the school year that we had a major problem. We were both dealing with control. The problem was that we no longer had control. Suddenly, she would be under the “control” of other people for 5-8 hours a day. It honestly freaked me out. But the thing that we had to do is release her.
Now, when you see “release her”, some may think that we just handed her over to whomever was watching her or whatever. That’s not what I mean. What I mean is, we had to trust God to take care of her and keep those things that we taught her (currently and in the past) in her heart to remind her daily. Why is that so important? When she’s out of our sight and in someone else’s, we have to trust that God will be on the scene regardless of where we are.
As always, I try to liken our experience to the Word. There is a place where God had to do this for His Son, Jesus. In the Garden, Jesus cried unto the Father “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, not my will but your will.” Honestly, being a parent, I would have ran down to him and took the cup for myself and let him live. But God had to release Jesus to be able to fulfill what Jesus was called to do…to die for the sins of the world. I am not sure if you or I could have that strong of a commitment but as I released my daughter into the care of her teachers and the authorities of her school, I have to trust that God will watch over her and that she will be the Mighty Woman of God that she is called to be (even at now five years old.)
I know that once they grow up and get ready to move out, there will be another phase of releasing. Until then, perhaps I will live in denial.
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