A Fathers Heart

I have never had to experience changing communities during those turbulent teen years. I was one of those rare birds that graduated with most of the same group of friends I started out with in grade one. I suppose I took it all for granted and as fun as graduation was I would have to say it was very quickly forgotten. I seem to remember thinking that graduation was only the end of something that was a lot like a cocoon and the beginning of something that was really big and really scary... that is real life!
As a dad of three beautiful young ladies who have now had to move to a far away place and start making friends from scratch I too echoed the concerns of their mother. (See Cheryl's blog "A Mothers Heart")
However, as concerned as I was for them about the coming changes I was growing even more concerned for them had we stayed where we were. As Cheryl mentioned they were definitely blessed/spoiled and it was becoming more and more apparent to me that in their blessings they were starting to feel entitled to those blessings. One of our daughters even bemoaned the fact that her life was to easy; it didn’t really have any difficulties in it. Another of our daughters had looming fears that something would happen to upset her perfect little world. In the past I have for the most part welcomed change mostly for it "shake me to wake me up" affect. As far as my kids were concerned I was more and more eager to see change come for same "shake and wake" reasons. Of course our move was much bigger than all of this but these things were factored into our desire to move.
So now we have to watch them struggle, we get to feel their down times with them and we get to show a strong hand of support and encouragement when they feel lost and lonely. We get to encourage them to trust the Lord and seek his face often when they feel like doing just the opposite. My prayer is that the lessons they are learning right now are lessons they will need to enable them in the future to become fruitful and productive in God's Kingdom.
In my view the battle for their hearts and minds has moved (for now) from the shadows to right out into the open.
For me personally, I would have to say that while I prayed often for my kids in the past my prayers have increased many fold for them as they embark with us on this new journey. At times I feel helpless even speechless (yes I did say speechless) not knowing how to comfort them but more importantly I know whom I have believed in and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until He comes again.
GO GIRLS GO!
God is Good All the Time.