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Blogs by Laura Davis
Leaving the Nest 9/4/2008 2:38:20 PM
Letting your children go. My daughter left home last weekend to go to college and I cannot begin to tell you how I am feeling right now. It is a mixture of sadness, fear, peace and joy. I know - that's a very strange mixture, but let me explain why.
I am sad of course, because she is my daughter! I don't want her to leave, I want to keep her safe and close and never let her go. I want to make sure she is eating properly, that is she happy, that she is healthy. In short - I'm not ready to stop being her mom! What a difficult transition it is, to let your children fly away and be their own person. Not as difficult for them, I suspect, as it is for the parent. For me, it's like the first day of school all over again. I hated leaving her with strangers then and I hate it now! Another stage of growing up (for me - not her), only this time - this time I have to let her go.
Which leads me to fear. Oh, how the devil likes to strike that double-edged sword into the heart of every mother! Just like Mary (Jesus's mom), we fear for our children's safety. We fear that something horrible will happen to them if we're not around to protect them. We want to cradle them and coddle them, because we know that in our arms they will always be safe.
Which leads me to peace. Wow! Fear leads you to peace, you ask? Yes, it does and you know why? Because the peace I have is found in the One who created my baby girl. My heavenly Father knows my daughter better then I do and He knows what I need to help me adjust to her absence. He also knows what she needs to adjust to being alone. My Heavenly Father, who was with Sarah when she was being formed in my womb (Ps. 139:13-16) will be with her and walk with her every day of her life, as He has done since before she was born. He will continue to do what I cannot and because I trust Him, I find my peace in Him. He will always be with her and that gives me so much comfort that it stills the fear in my heart.
Which leads me to joy! Joy that my beloved daughter is finally going out on her own to discover the path God has set for her. Joy that she will make new friends, learn new skills and ultimately discover how strong she really is and more importantly, she will discover herself. Leaving home will be an exciting adventure for her and I'm sure she will mature into a beautiful young woman.
