Letting Go and Trusting God
By Kat Clark
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight.” ~Proverbs 3:5-6
When our children are young, we have a lot of control over their lives. We choose what they wear, where they go, what they eat, and who they’re friends with. As they grow and mature, our control lessens. They gain more independence and autonomy, and we must relinquish control bit by bit. This is as it should be. Still, as a parent each new milestone brings both exhilaration and anxiety.
If you’re anything like me, being in control helps you to feel calm. Knowing what to expect and having things go as planned keeps order in your life and in your mind. What do we do when a situation arises that we can’t control?
My oldest son just received his driver’s permit. He will have his first behind the wheel lesson tomorrow. I will have to put him behind the wheel with virtually no driving experience and allow a complete stranger to take him driving. Talk about a loss of control! How do I cope? I don’t trust my son’s driving abilities yet. I don’t trust the driving instructor. However, I do trust God. In this moment of losing control, I recognize that my own understanding is limited. My son is ready. I am not. It is my job as a parent to let go and let him grow. I can only do that with God’s help.
Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. If I lean on my own understanding it tells me that driving is inherently dangerous. My understanding reminds me that I cannot control the other drivers who may be distracted or impaired. My own understanding tells me I cannot control the methods of the driving coach and I cannot control my son. Yet if I trust in the Lord, I can trust that He will keep my son safe and not let any harm befall him. While I may not trust the driving coach, the other drivers, or even my son, I can always trust God. Proverbs 3:6 tells us we are to submit to Him in all our ways and He will make our paths straight. Part of being a parent is letting go. God entrusted me with this child and now I will trust Him.
Heavenly Father, we trust in You. We know you will lead us if our hearts and minds are open. Our children are safe in the palm of Your strong hand. Help us to trust in You always and calm our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. In Your mighty name, Amen.