Freedom! That was the look on my son’s face when I gave the okay for him and his friend to ride their bike in the neighborhood. I should have been more specific because to a 10-year-old boy, the ‘neighborhood’ meant anywhere he and his friend could ride their bikes.
I found out later that they were seen at the truck weigh station next to the highway. I’m glad that the weigh station was closed but I felt like a bad mom when my friend told me where she saw Marcus. Scott wasn’t too concerned, “The boys were just being boys.”
That incident made me realize that I could worry about the decisions I or my kids make, or I could give my worries over to God. We are all His children. He blessed me with two wonderful kids that He loves more than I do. As a mom, I just did my best to raise these kids with the best of my abilities so that they would know God, too.
Whenever I start to worry about my kids, I would pray and leave them in God’s loving hands. When Marcus started riding his bike to school and taking the shortcut which was a steep downhill ride with a sharp turn, I prayed almost every morning that he wouldn’t crash or get swiped by a vehicle going around the turn.
I thought he would be eager to get his driver’s license when he reached the age to get a permit but he preferred his bike. Even during his college days when he moved off campus, he rode his bike to and from classes. I trusted God to watch over Marcus like He did when he rode his bike to and from the high school.
When we moved to Tennessee, Marcus still didn’t have his license so he didn’t take a turn driving. The city we chose to live in wasn’t as bike friendly as what we’re used to. Our neighborhood doesn’t even have sidewalks! So Marcus got his driver’s permit as soon as he could. It was so nice having a chauffeur as he practiced driving whenever I needed to do errands. He even came with me to do groceries which he stopped doing once he got his license.
There was only one time that I got in the car and noticed that the tank was almost empty. Marcus always asked for permission and scheduled his outings to make sure it didn’t conflict with our schedule. When his job required him to be in the office during the days Scott needed a vehicle, it was time for more adulting.
I was impressed that he asked Scott to go with him to look at a car and when they came back, he had the paperwork for a brand-new car! There were details to take care of and he handled them himself – calling the insurance agent and making sure he had money in his bank account.
When he came home with the brand-new car, I did not see that 10-year-old boy with the look of freedom on his face. Instead, I saw an adult ready to take responsibility of the freedom owning a car gave him. At that moment, I was joyful. It was his independence day.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for giving us the right to be Your children and for allowing us to train up Your children. We don’t deserve Your patience in waiting for us to grow to maturity. Help us to put away childish things so we may be able to reflect Your glory. May we grow independent of our parents but dependent on You.
In Your Son’s precious name, Amen.
Verses
1 Peter 5:7
Galatians 3:26; 4:2
Proverbs 22:6; 23:25
Ephesians 5:21; 6:2-4
1 Corinthians 13:11
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Song
Call to action
If you have already prayed, looked up the verses in your Bible, and listened to the suggested song, then write down the time you felt independent but very dependent on God and share with someone.