“There’s an opportune time to do things: a right time for everything on earth.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 MSG)
Today is a day I have been dreading for a good long while. Yesterday we hitched up a trailer and loaded Eli’s car up with almost all his earthly possessions. Today we begin the thousand mile trip to Texas. At the end of the week, we pray our goodbyes and part ways, heading home without our baby boy. It’s still strange to me, after all these years of praying, protecting and providing, it’s all of the sudden time to let him go out on his own.
“A time to hold on and a time to let go.” (Ecclesiastes 3:6 MSG)
The holding time has passed, though I will treasure the memory of it always. Being this boys mom has been the best, a complete honor in every way. I blinked and our years together slipped by like a passing shadow. The letting go has begun and today I get to learn how to do this, too, with grace.
Letting go requires faith. It requires rock-solid belief that the Lord loves him more than my momma heart ever could. The task of today is trusting both the investment that I’ve made as a mother and the powerful love of his Creator. The assets he has will be more than enough to build the life he’s meant to live. Letting go requires remembering what the Lord has already done on his behalf.
A year ago I was distraught. Our son was on a precarious path and pushing forward foolishly. For many months I prayed, almost thirty, in fact. And finally the Lord gave me a vision; my hands pushing a reed basket into a raging river. The Lord asked me to let my son go, into the river of fear and see what He might do. Through a most impressive and unexplainable series of events, the Lord brought him back to me, so much like the story of baby Moses. I was allowed just a few more days to revel in his specialness and marvel over his Kingdom potential. I’ve had him a little longer, but now it’s time to let go for good. Today I release him a second time, not into the river of fear, but into the River of Life. Today I take my hand off him and fully entrust him back to the Father, confident that he’ll fulfill the role he’s always been destined to play.
“When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter…” (Exodus 2:10 NIV)
“So his parents took him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.” (Luke 2:22 NLT)
Lord, thank You for choosing me as mother. Thank You for equipping, correcting, and sustaining all along the way. It has been nothing less than miraculous, watching this baby move toward manhood. Thank You for a front seat to some of Your very best work. I love You and trust You entirely for his future. Amen.
Beautiful words.