Training Up a Child: FREEDOM

I'm finally getting started on the training up a child series that I had intended to start a month ago. Though I feel I've left some of you wondering when I would start, I know that to have started earlier was not in God's timing. Here's why.

Scott and I just went through a major life change with our oldest son. He graduated from high school and left for college one week ago. Through the last two weeks, we are learning to let go, to allow our son to have freedom he's never had before. We thought he was going to come home this weekend. He did, on Friday, for two hours, to get some things he forgot, and then left again. I didn' t get to see him because I was at work. Yes, I was disappointed as I thought he planned to stay the weekend at home. But, his plans changed. He had a new group people to hang out with. He had a newfound freedom that he never had before. He has discovered that freedom much more quickly than we expected! We thought for at least the next month, he'd come home every weekend. Boy, were we wrong! (Son, if you're reading this, you're welcome home anytime, but do what you want to do.) Now, mind you, I was EXTREMELY happy that he had made friends so quickly. I was happy that he wanted to be at college this weekend to participate in college church activities that were going on. He came home to get dress clothes...dress shirt, dress shoes, dress pants...and yes, even a TIE!!! He also got his XBox 360...so I'm sure he has lots of friends, now:-) Here's the point, he didn't ask permission from us in any of these decisions. He wasn't being disrespectful, it's just that we are encouraging him to branch out on his own and make his own decisions. He's been happy to oblige. Just in a week's time I've seen him grow as a young adult. I've been amazed by his maturity and independence. He is able to do so many more things than I ever thought he would. Not because I doubted him, but because he's never had the experience to do so before. His driving the distance from college to home and back again on his own was an eye opener for me. My baby can go the distance! He even did his own laundry!

You may be thinking that this story doesn't apply to you. Some of your children may not have even started school yet. It may seem to you that I'm starting this series at the wrong end of childhood. So how is this story related to training up a child? It is to remind all of us of the desired END RESULT...what we as parents need to ALWAYS be mindful of the goal of raising our children to be God loving, Christ-centered, wise, responsible adults. We want to train up our children so they have a solid foundation in Christ so that as they grow they learn to handle their independence in a godly manner. FACE IT...they are going to be independent from us SOME DAY. Knowing my son gave his life to Christ years ago, that we trained him up, raising him up in church, and seeing him grow in Christ is a HUGE comfort to me now that he's away from home. Don't you want that comfort and peace? Children who have found freedom in Christ will be better equipped to handle their personal freedom as young adults with great wisdom. That may not always be the case, but we can trust God with our young adult children. We can also trust Him to help us with difficulties along the way. The bottom line, we as parents must be mindful of our children's eternal future, not just the present, and not just their earthly future. Though the future for my college age son will include ups and downs for him, I know that we've trained him up. Now, we MUST trust him and trust God with him. We don't have a choice! I can hear Matt loud and clear, "FREEDOM!" Yep, that's his new mantra!

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Proverbs 22:6

In His Love, Cathy