Where there is no vision, the people perish:
but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29: 18
This is something I have talked with friends about and one I battle with daily. Have I trained my children in the right path? Did I do all that I could do? Is there something I should have done differently? My one goal from the time I gave birth to my first child until the day my last child graduated from high school was to place the word of God on their pallet every day, in every way. I desired above everything else that all my children grow up and serve the Lord. Did I say, “Grow up and be pastor’s or missionaries?” No, that would be great but I didn’t care what career they choose as long as they walked with God. To me, if my children aren’t walking with God, then I’m a failure. What we must realize now that they are adults and on their own, is that they choose which path they walk down. I’m no longer the one to choose for them.
This can be defeating but today after talking with a dear friend of mine I was reminded that the journey isn’t over. Yes, it is a journey. The more seeds we plant in their lives while they are growing and the more seeds we continue to plant the more chance there is for them to spout forth and start growing in the Lord one day. This verse is from the amplified bible.
ISAIAH 32:20
“Happy and fortunate are you
who cast your seed upon all waters
[WHEN THE RIVER OVERFLOWS ITS BANK
for the seed will sink into the mud and
WHEN THE WATERS SUBSIDE,
it will spring up; you will find it AFTER MANY DAYS
in an abundant harvest],
and can safely send forth the ox
the donkey [to range freely].”
PS 126:6
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him,
On this journey through life after our children leave home we see ourselves as the child and Christ as the father. Here is the question we find ourselves asking. “When Lord will they be there”? When are they going to start serving you? How long is it going to take?”
Last week we kept our grandson Camren, who is a very intelligent young man who loves life to its fullest. He is nine and to him everything is special to the point that everything must be kept or collected. The littlest things plant memories into his little mind. We took so many pictures on our journey last week with Camren so that he could put them on Shutterfly and have the memories. He was so adorable when he walked into our house on Sunday night. He walked into the leaving room, look a deep breath and said, “dreams” oh I meant “memories”. I asked him what he meant and he said, “just memories MeeMee of all the fun things we do”. I realized we were on a journey and as we travel together that I am planting seeds. I don’t want to drop one or two I want to throw them everywhere so that when the storms come, the seeds wash to the shore, plant themselves into the mud and then grow. Did you notice when they grow? Not while we are walking and talking but when the storms come in his little life. We pray for our children to be protected and not have any storms but it’s the storms that will wash those precious seeds onto the shore. If it’s one seed, chances are it will not develop but if there are thousands of seeds, that child has more of a chance for the seed to develop and grow to maturity.
Driving Camren home on Thursday he would ask often, “MeeMee, how long is it going to take”? MeeMee how far did we drive so far? MeeMee is it as far as when I came to see you the other day? MeeMee, it’s taking a long long time to get there and I’m wanting to see my dad. The questions just kept coming. It was going to be about midnight when we arrived so I just urged Camren to close his eyes and go to sleep. I told him it would only feel like a few minutes if he just rest but if he doesn’t it will still feel like a very long time.
Are we not just like Camren after our children are grown. They are on a journey and probably going to go through some storms. It’s not easy for me because I’m much like the little child saying, “when Lord are they going to be there?” When Lord are they going to see?” Why Lord are they not following you after pouring the Word of God into their lives daily”? When Lord am I going to get to see them walking with you?
The reminder to us is Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Did you read that? Right now we are on a journey with them. We are the one asking all the questions and the Father gently says, if you will rest awhile you will find the journey goes faster. We don’t know how long the Father is going to allow them to go along on their own and it might take some storms to bring them back, but keep casting seeds out into their lives so that when the time is right the seed will wash ashore and find fertile ground.
Our place is not to paddle out into the storm and push the seed to shore. Our place is to rest in the Lord, keep planting, encouraging and praying. One day I truly believe we will wake up and the journey will be over.
Isaiah 59: 19-21
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood,
the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion,
and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob,
saith the LORD.
21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD;
My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth,
shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed,
nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
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