Reflections for 3/22/14

"And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."(Ephesians 6:4)

In a few months my children will have left the nest.  This is turning into a year of wild transition for me.  People told me it would happen fast and that I shouldn't wish them out the door, but I've often thought that as a parent my job was to get them ready to go out the door.  To equip them for the world in which I would not be able to be there all the time.

This has been an ongoing process.  I have tried not to be one of those parents who needs their children to affirm their identity.  I've tried to give them the tools and the boundaries to be able to make decisions.  Whether they are the choices I would make has not always been the case.  For the most part though they've done okay.

I've tried to work the parent child relationship in such a way that it can be maintained when they are adults.  I've tried not to provoke them to anger, though I'm sure I've done so on occasion and perhaps even disappointed them.  I do hope that what they will always remember is a dad who was there for them, yet gave them the space to become their own person.

Yes I've given them a faith foundation, yet have given them a chance to build on it themselves.  I hope that they will find that having faith is a good thing and not something to be cast aside.  I do think they've been given the tools to make an informed choice.

We never really know how our children will turn out. I've seen rotten kids come from seemingly decent people. And I've met great people who's parents really messed up. 

But there are only two that I have had some effect on.  Time will tell whether it was positive or not, but the signs are good.

Blessings,
Ed