How a Lovey Taught Me Something

This is very random, but I was just rocking my fussy son in the rocking chair, my eyes tired and heavy and just reflecting on the great company we had just had over for lunch.  (A family we just met 2 days ago through craigslist when we bought an elliptical from them!!! crazy huh? They are an amazing family who is going to be moving to plant a church in another state-).  Anyways...that's not even the random thing I was going to say although that was super random.  where was I?  Oh yeah, so I was rocking him in the rocking chair calming him down and he was holding his special blankie.  I don't know why, but this thought came to me all at once out of the blue. But this is that back story... he had this wonderful, cute, soft, cozy blankie that I had been giving him repeatedly to be his security object because he didn't have one for a long time.  This blankie I kept giving him was just so soft and plush, and in my mind, ever since we received it as a gift when he was born, I "knew" it was going to be his special blankie, it was perfect....he just hadn't attached to it yet.  I kept on giving it to him and he was indifferent...then one day we were in his room looking for an outfit to wear and he was trying to get into the closet when suddenly he stopped, his eyes got big...he got excited and then pulled out this little yellow and white blanket that I had put away because it was just one of those  thin blankets you use to swaddle them when they are tiny.  Anyways, he pulled that out and from that moment on, it has been his special blankie that goes everywhere.  He won't sleep without it and he drags it around everywhere like little Linus....I couldn't even keep it away from him at the spray park this summer so he drug it through all the fountains and sprinklers...

So as I sat there rocking him, thinking about other things, I looked down at him cuddling his blankie and had this random epiphany.  Thinking about how he came to have that particular blankey be his lovey rather than the nice, plush perfect one I had thought would be his lovey, it's going to be the same way one day with his future spouse.  We are probably going to have some idea of the person we envision our children getting married to one day and when that day comes, we may be surprised when they just find the right one, and it's not what we had envisioned...but you know what?  Even though it's not the super cool, perfect extra soft blankey we would have picked...it's still a pretty darn cute one... and in his eyes, it's the perfect one.  So my realization (however obvious it may seem but now reinforced) is that I really won't be able to pick my kids future friends, career,and mate just like I couldn't pick out their lovey for them as babies....however...

There's always something we CAN do, even when when it comes to things out of our control...

BUT that doesn't mean there is nothing I can do to help my kids make the right life choices for themselves.  One thing I CAN do is pray for my children (yes, even starting now it's never to early) that they may be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one (II Corinthians 6.14-17)  and trust in God's plan for their lives, as He can work far better in their lives than I can.  I can pray for my children to always seek for wisdom and discernment from Him, and turn to Him for all decisions so s/he doesn't make poor choices, that  to Holy Spirit will influence his/her selection of friends and potential mates and all their relationships with others will glorify Him.

So that is my random thoughts for the day....how my son's blankey turned into a lesson to teach ME something I know I will need to remember down the road...it seems obvious but may not be so simple when the time comes to have to truly let go and respect their choices.

Thinking about this reminded me of this great book I have with beautiful illustrations of children, it's called For This Child I Prayed by Stormie Omartian Illustrated by Susan Rios

It is filled with beautiful prayers that I enjoy reading and praying for my children.  My daughter enjoys this book at bedtime, hearing all the wonderful prayers with her name in them, hearing me pray these things for her.  She always wants me to "do another one".  The first prayer in the book was really difficult for me to understand and do when I first became a parent...It wasn't until pretty recently that I have realized and conceded that yes, parenting a child in the way God would have me to is beyond my human abilities and I need His help, that I truly do want to be partners with Him and have access to his wisdom, discernment, revelation and guidance while also NEEDING his strength, patience and generous love flowing through me.  Entrusting Him with the lives of my children, believing that he has a plan for their life that is good, something far better than I could arrange.

"Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive"

-Matthew 21:22