When our son was about the age of 4 he came to me with tears in his eyes asking, “Mom, do I ever have to leave home?” I instantly hugged and reassured him that he had a very long time before he even had to think about leaving home. Tears dried up and off he went.
Around the age of 7, he asked if it would be okay if he lived next door. With a smile I replied, “If that is where you’d like to live, we would be happy to be his neighbor.” With a skip in his step, off he went.
Once again around the age of 12, he asked what I thought about him moving a couple of streets over from where we currently lived. The response from me stayed the same, “If that is where you’d like to live, we would be happy for him.” He turned on his heels and off he went.
At age 15, our son declared he would like to go to college out of state and most likely live there permanently. As parents, we received this new declaration with a nod and a smile. Once again, off he went.
In May our son will graduate, and most likely attend college nearby.
As parents we go through many seasons and changes with our children. Some of the seasons are as we planned and some throw us a few curve balls. The Bible is clear in Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Our children are growing, changing and becoming adults. Our responsibility is to train them in the way they should go. The best we can do is build in them a solid foundation of values, character, education and most importantly, the love for the Word of God.
What are ways that you are doing this in your home? Please share them below!
