Would You Send Them?

I hope you have your tea or coffee today! I love to have my tea first thing in the morning, during the summer, before my kids get up for the day. How about you? Do you drink your tea or coffee before your kids get up or after? Either way it is still delicious and probably needed. haha.

I love a good chai tea!

Being a parent comes with many challenges. I don’t think that can ever be stated too much. There are so many decisions to make and it can feel overwhelming. As parents, we want to make the right choice for our kids. We want to help them become successful and the best version of themselves. We want them to become the person God created them to be. But, what if the path they take to become that person isn’t the path you wanted, or even thought about. What if that path is a little scary to you?

Our oldest is going into middle school soon and we’ve started to consider the options of where to send him to school. Do we send him to the school he's zoned for, a magnet school, a private school, or do we homeschool him? I have considered all of these options at some point during this process. I keep praying over this decision because, to be honest, I’ve heard horror stories of middle school and it terrifies me. Of course what makes the decision so challenging is that I don’t want him to hurt or struggle. 

I've been praying over this decision for some time now. One day, as I was praying, I felt the Holy Spirit ask, “Would you send him to school knowing that he might struggle and face challenging moments, but in doing so he will be sent on the path that I have for him?” I honestly haven’t thought about it this way. I reflect on my own life and how different seasons got me to where I am today. We’ve all had struggles in life and faced challenges that we didn’t want to face. It is those moments that made us part of who we are today.

I started thinking about some different scenarios that could affect him in a positive way. Maybe he goes to school, and a teacher influences him in a way that helps him choose his future career path. What if he is able to take courses that will interest him and lead him to the path God has for him.

There could be another student that doesn’t know Jesus that he shares this gospel with and puts him on a path of sharing the gospel with more. Maybe he struggles in a specific subject area, and it helps him to see that it is okay to not be perfect. This struggle could help him learn to persevere when faced with adversity and just be the skills he needs for the life God has for him. The struggle could also help him find a different area that he is interested in that he hadn’t considered before. The possibilities really are endless. 

I don't want him to struggle. I don't think any of us want our kids to struggle. It makes me nervous and uncomfortable to know this is not just a possibility, but a reality.

I know this is the enemy because it comes from fear. I want my sons to become the men of God that I know God has created them to be.

That journey will most definitely look different from the way I think it should, but God knows what is best for my sons. They are His children. He has just trusted me with them here on earth. If He has trusted me with them then shouldn’t I trust that he knows what is right for them even when it makes me uncomfortable? The Bible tell me I can trust him. Psalms 3:5-6 tell us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. "

Sometimes I forget that He loves them even more than I do and He has greater plans for them than I could ever imagine.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "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."

God has a plan for all of us and those plans look different from person to person. If he had the same plan for each of us, the gospel wouldn’t reach the ends of the earth. There has to be light in every avenue of this world. He needs us to be the hands and feet of Jesus everywhere, not just where we’re comfortable. 

Have you ever faced similar decisions as a parent? How did you trust God through the process?

If you haven't followed through with the decision yet, are you willing to send your kids to a place knowing that they could face some challenges, but ultimately come out being the person God created them to be?

Let’s trust Him together to lead our children.