Peace in Parenting

“Oh my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord.  For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.  Therefore I have lent him to the Lord.  As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:26-27

I have read a lot and prayed a ton about parenting my children over the years.  They are all so different, and the trials I face as a mom change from year to year, sometimes it feels like from moment to moment.  Just when I feel like we may be conquering one thing, something else pops up that has me on my knees again begging God for wisdom and help.  My children are so precious to me and one of the greatest source of anxiety I face is for their well being.

There is no shortage of things we can worry about for our kids.  Will they know and follow Jesus?  How do I keep them from getting hurt?  Will they have someone to play with at school?  Will my daughters be strong and able to protect themselves?  Will they be confident in God’s love for them and not live for the approval of others?  Will my sons be godly and honorable men?  Will they find jobs that they can excel at and find joy in?  Will they be wise and make good choices?  So very many things that can keep me up at night and prevent me from feeling any sense of peace.

The lack of peace comes from my desire to control everything and taking the burden for my children’s well being all on myself.  It’s funny that I can read promises throughout scripture and trust God is going to work things our for my good, but struggle so much to trust in those same promises for my children. 

Hannah gives us such an amazing example of trusting the Lord with her only child.  She had prayed and longed for a child and when the Lord finally blesses her with a son, she gives him back completely to God.  I would have had a hard time keeping this promise.  But Hannah knew that the best place for her son was in God’s hands. 

“There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2).

Hannah was not only at peace, she rejoiced greatly to entrust her child completely to God.  She knew God gave her that child and that God had the power to care for him.  We can follow her example today by entrusting our children to the Lord, when we want to hold on to them with all of our might and control everything that we can.  We first can recognize and declare that our children belong to God, that He created them with a good plan and purpose, that He loves them more than we ever could and knows them more completely.  Then we can remember all of God’s mighty works, focusing on the things He’s done throughout our lives and the lives of others to prove Himself trustworthy, powerful, faithful and loving. 

God is perfect and I am imperfect.  I will fail my children, but He never will.  When I am found lacking, He is always sufficient.  I pray that my children will be able to run to their heavenly Father and find all they need in Him, and for the short, sweet time while I have them in my care, that somehow God will use me to show them how amazing He is.  When knowing Jesus becomes the focus and the goal, I don’t need to strive in my own strength because He will always be faithful.  When wee give up that striving and control and fully trust the Lord, then we find peace.  “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15).