Parents stood on the small stage. Young siblings waved at the crowd or clutched mom’s leg, while babies squirmed, slept, or cried. Diane, our children’s ministries director held the microphone up to one parent.

“Do you release this child to His plan, even if that draws them to the ends of the earth to share the gospel?” she asked.

Wait a minute. 

Did she just say that?

Sure, I know it’s in scripture. I know we are loved by God richly and that we are privileged to share that love with others, but I thought about my littles. . .

What if God called them across the world?

And these words settled into my soul.

Where else would you want them, except in the heart of my will?

I understand that, I do. It’s exactly what I want for them. It’s what I pray over them. Yet I also want to hold on tightly and never let them go.

When I think of giving God my all, do I include my children and grandchildren in that offering? Do I release them to His plan?

Giving God our all, even our children, might resemble praying in the darkness as they stumble toward Him, mistakes and all. It could be releasing them from the bubble wrap I want to enclose them in, so that they can step into His will (even if it looks different than I thought it should).

It could be watching and praying as they suffer and yet find Him in that hard place.

Oh, it’s so much easier saying it than actually giving it. . .

Last Wednesday my 6th grandchild was born. His name is Caleb. What a beautiful strong name and what a beautiful little man. He entered this world at 6 lbs. 5 ounces and 19 inches long.

He’s not just ours; He’s loved and known and marked by God.

Today I hold up my hands and hold out Caleb, and his mom and dad and Caleb’s beautiful older sister. I hold up each of my grown children. I give Him the other five grandchildren. . .

In doing so, I hold up the entirety of my heart.

Giving Him our all, even our children, is a walk of faith and trust, but it also drives us to our knees as we trust Him with the greatest gift He’s ever given us.

Let’s pray today for our children. No matter where they are in their faith walk, no matter how old they are, no matter how hard we want to hold tight — let’s thank God for the visionaries, the missionaries, the teachers, the men and women of faith, the world changers that He knows them to be.

Share your prayers here and let’s encourage each other.

Suzie

If you struggle in your role as a mom because of how you were mothered, your past or a dysfunctional childhood, there’s a resource that will help you work through those struggles.

The Mom I Want to Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future is a powerful and gentle resource.

“I wish I’d had The Mom I Want to Be during the years I was trying to be a mom! Suzie Eller’s transparency and wisdom is nothing short of amazing. The Holy Spirit is clearly alive in the relationships of hope and healing threaded thoughout the pages. It was hard to put down–a must read for moms of any age.”
–Allison Bottke, speaker and author of the God Allows U-Turns series and God Answers Prayers series