Children grow into adults,
But they never stop being your children.
You always want to help them solve problems.
Your heart still aches when theirs is broken.
You hope that you raised them well, but there are no guarantees.
With love and luck, they become prosperous and kind.
With prayer, they become saved.
Parenthood at any stage has joys and sorrows.
My dad told the story of a discussion he had with a friend about their adult children. One asked the other, “Do you know when you stop worrying about your kids?” They both pointed to the ground in hopes that once they died, they wouldn’t worry anymore. I don’t know if he told me that story because he was worried about me for some reason or if he just wanted to warn me (a young mother at the time) that even when they are grown, you will still worry.
For me, the hardest part is knowing they need help, but not being able to help or not knowing how to help. Can I help? Should I help? To what extent should I help?
I sometimes wonder how God does it. We are all his children no matter how old we are. Natural disasters, illnesses, addictions, bad choices, etc. happen to all of us at some points in our lives. We all face problems that He, being God, could easily solve, but often He doesn’t. We constantly ask, “Why? What are we supposed to learn? What is the point of suffering?” In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Romans 8:28 states, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”
God gave us our children. He chose us to raise them. He knew what He was doing no matter how hard parenting is. Even in the hard times, good can come. Even if our prayers aren’t answered when or how we want, prayer helps. We need to have faith. We must strive to love our children as God loves us, unendingly and unconditionally.