My son texted us at 4 a.m.

He was sick with a severe sore throat. OK, I thought. We can handle this minor long-distance emergency. Find a doctor in the area, send him the insurance information, make sure he has plenty of ibuprofen and fluids on hand.

Check.

Except for one little problem. He and his ministry team would be leaving at 6 a.m. in a van to travel 600 miles for their next mission trip, to an unfamiliar city where we don’t know where anything is.

Should he go? Should he stay home? Is it just a sore throat? Or something worse? Questions and potential plans swirled through my mind, and honestly, I didn’t have the right answer. We had to take a deep breath, pray, and make the best decision we could.

More importantly, I had to decide to give the situation to God and remind myself that He is indeed God.

Do I trust God to take care of my kids?

“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9 NLT

I love the above verse from Deuteronomy when I struggle to trust God with my kids. It holds two powerful promises we need. The first tells us that God is who the Bible says He is.

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The Lord your God is indeed God.

When we have a hard time trusting God and giving Him control of our circumstances - especially where our kids are concerned - we need this firm reminder. I can (sometimes) get carried away in my own thoughts, worrying and wondering what to do. I love it when God steps in and simply says, “I’ve got this.”

God keeps His promises for a thousand generations.

The second promise reinforces how much God loves and cares for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. It provides hope and encouragement when uncertainty about their futures turns to fear. Oh, how God loves them! So much that he lavishes his love on us and assures us of His faithful care for our kids.

I needed this verse today. And if you did too, let’s stand together on the promises of Deuteronomy 7:9. Turning your child over to God may not be easy. Trusting God when it comes to my kids may be a daily renewal of my thought patterns. But He is faithful and His Word is the same yesterday, today, and every day of our children’s futures.

Kicking back in a lounge chair at the water park, I sat watching with the other young moms. I smiled with satisfaction at the clever design of this place. Moms could relax and still see their little ones splashing, exploring, and making friends. All the while staying close enough to hop up and run to the rescue in the event of an emergency.

I settled in for a fun-filled day in the sun with my youngster. But I never would’ve expected what happened next.

Two women walked up to my six year old. The way they stood over him and looked down with scowling faces told me this was not good. I sat stunned, not believing my eyes. So as soon as I broke free from the initial shock, I gathered my composure and headed toward the altercation.

By the time I reached my boy, the women had marched back to their chairs. I asked him what they said. Apparently he’d squirted a water blaster at a girl while playing on the makeshift pirate ship, and she was upset. My first thought was, “It’s a water park. What do you expect?”

Then my second thought was, “How do I handle this situation?”

My Mama Bear blood boiled. But I hesitated to confront them because I feared it would turn into a big ordeal. More than anything, I didn’t want it to ruin our day. I just wanted to enjoy time with my boy. So what to do??

“How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.” Psalm 112:1-2 NLT

So many times as a mom I try to mold my child’s circumstances rather than letting those circumstances shape who God wants him to become.

Today’s verse reminds me that I can be joyful all the time because my delight is in the Lord. Even in times of turmoil. I don’t need to worry about these little bumps in the road for my child. As long as I keep my delight in the Lord, He will guide my child’s steps.

With my mind swirling around the abrupt interruption to an otherwise beautiful day, I noticed something astounding. In the midst of my confusion over what to do, my son had already forgotten about the whole thing. He was off making new friends and embarking on new pirate adventures.

The waterpark incident was one of many times I fretted over how to ‘do this parenting thing right’. But over the years I’ve seen how God uses those difficult circumstances to strengthen and develop him. Today our boy’s a young adult, and sometimes I still fall into the trap of trying to control the outcome of his experiences. So when I’m tempted to fret over struggles that come his way, I can remember this. God doesn’t have anything less than His very best plans for my kids.

It may not look anything like what I envision, and that’s okay. God’s way is always best.

Blessings,

Kristine