Letting Go and Letting God – Michelle Noma
Parenting isn’t easy.
We can never put on cruise control because just when we think it’s a smooth drive our kids will swerve off the road. It is a daunting task – one that requires much wisdom, patience and love. As my kids enter the tween/teenage years, I feel fear and anxiety sneakily creep in as they seek independence, start cutting off the apron strings and my grip on them loosens. Yikes!!
This leads me to vividly recall the time we were teaching Mathias, our son how to ride a bike. Fearing he would crash, I lacked the courage to let go. In doing so I felt nothing but exhaustion as I gripped on tight and ran alongside him. This did not help him either – as I discovered – it is in the letting go that he was able to take off and ride.
Looking back, I realise it is the same with my parenting journey. As I move through each chapter – I am learning to let go and release my children to God. Letting go is not easy. It goes against my instinct to smooth the road and protect my kids from harm. But God has called all believers to a life of surrender. For me, releasing my children to Him has been the most difficult surrender of all.
When I hand over the plans and dreams I have for my children, I release them to live out the plans and dreams He has for them. I choose to trust that God’s plans are not only better than mine, but they are the BEST. As I do this, I exchange my fears and worries for His peace and I allow God to be God and not try to take His place.
How do you surrender?
Pray – Prayer is our most powerful weapon against the enemy who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Let’s get on our knees in surrender and fight for our kids in prayer!
Bless and Rejoice – Our “children are a blessing and a gift from God” (Psalm 127:3). Rejoice and celebrate their uniqueness rather than trying to mould them into who we want them to be.
Immerse in God’s Word – Show them how a life of faith is lived. Make it a point to be in church every Sunday – Adventure Kids and Epic Youth are pivotal – as they learn God’s word which will be their anchor and strength for their own journey ahead. “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it”. (Proverbs 22:6)
Faith over Fear – Trust God will hold them in the palm of His hands. Trust He will protect, provide and guide them for whatever challenges come their way. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand”. (Psalm 37:23-24)
As much as we try gripping on tightly to our children, ultimately it is God who is sovereign over their life. This truth steers me as I enter each new chapter of parenting I am unfamiliar with. There is much peace and freedom in surrendering.
For me, it is the only way to navigate parenthood worry and anxiety free.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ( Jeremiah 29:11)
Michelle Noma
LIFE Staff