Psalm 121:1-8
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills- From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord. Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."
This is my encouragement when times get really tough in my life I do look up to heaven and the hills that remind me, " No matter how tough it seems climbing up the hills to recovery-remember at the top there is a wind, a breath of fresh air and a way to come back down." Family is all about climbing to the top, it's about running a race and being determined to reach that finish line. I think-- just push me through, here I come dehydrated, crawling, can't catch my breath but I will bust through that finish line! As my children have grown there are many new challenges in raising adult children. And yes you are never done because a parent will always be a parent no matter how old you become.
When my children were infants there was the exhaustion of trying to keep up with this infant who was born into a world that was so not familiar to it. Many nights of helping this frightened infant adjust into its new world called life we melted down bottles. Than it became a toddler that has developed lots of trust, confidence and boldness. It now can communicate much more effectively as it screams in front of large crowds without hesitation or consideration,it runs through isles pulling down mountains of clothes and at church it is for certain that even God himself knows this child is in the house! At the market place is where this child makes sure that you develop nothing less than enemies. This toddler is so bold it will yell at anyone or anything that gets in its way from being in dependant.
As we guide our young children in their developing years we have our challenges but we also have the authoritative control over these little creatures that we birth into this life called "Family". We are privileged to be their number one teachers, influencer's and the assignment in molding them into functional individuals in society. Your hope is that they will love without judgement, love with forgiveness and love their own family towards that finish line.
The climb upwards means now leading and guiding our adult children where there will be struggles as you welcome new territory into your comfort zone. This will mean our human nature of jealousy will set it, our comfort to keep the old will be challenged to change, and the walls of the past will need to be expanded for renovation and improvements. I have four amazing boys, two girls that are my daughter-in-laws-to-be, one Royal Princess (my granddaughter)and my Royal Prince is currently baking in mommy's toasty oven. This is are expanded renovation that is adding new beauty and value to our family. There is a saying that goes like this,
" My son's children are uncertain to be my grandchildren but my daughters children are certain to be called as my very own." I do not like this and refuse to let it trouble the walls of my home. I love and appreciate dearly the mothers that have carried and birth my grandbabies into my arms as a grandmother. I love singing, dancing and being called grandma. I refuse to allow life's bad moments to keep me an enemy of my future. It is my faith in my God whom I indeed look up too, as the verse above states, he is my refuge, my builder and my eternal hope that will get me to reach that finish line. Yes new territory is not always easy, it comes with many challenges and opportunities to grow. Climbing that hill means Iron sharpening Iron as we all can sharpen one another. It is not by my own strength or power but it is the Lord that builds my home and that I know is guaranteed. Since God allowed me to birth all boys he knew what was coming next---All the women in my life! Merry Christmas to you all and may he continue to bless your families as you climb the mountain tops....
