When the paths of our lives begin to change, our view of the circumstances and our attitude toward the events will determine how we handle the change. Picture this…In the dark of night, two children find themselves alone in a small raft floating in the middle of the ocean. They have no paddle, fresh water or food.
As a parent, this may create great anxiety for you, envisioning a near hopeless situation. The ocean is a dangerous expanse of water with harsh environmental elements, storms and wind. These children are in serious trouble navigating this vastness alone. The challenges to stay alive are compounded by the discouragement that a rescue party will not be able to pinpoint their location in time for a successful rescue. These two children will be overwhelmed by their circumstances where survival is dependent on their own abilities and a substantial amount of luck.
Perhaps reading the above predicament, you picture the children calmly floating in the loving arms of an omnipotent, omnipresent God who has created the stars in the heavens to guide the man to navigate the sea of His grace. If the children in the boat rests in the assurances that his LORD is in control, devoted to prayer, as they acknowledge the perfect plan the Father who has allowed the struggles of the current situation to strengthen their faith. The Creator of all things will provide and direct actions for salvation.
Like these children, we are not in control of the events in our lives. We can not rescue ourselves from the wind and storms that come upon us. However, like the children, we have a choice. We can fret, worry, exercise great effort to paddle about while living in hopeless defeat and pessimism of the dire circumstances, OR we can choose to relinquish salvation to the One who is able to send help and provide sustenance beyond what we can see or or do to change the situation.
This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and the stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar - the LORD Almighty is His name. Jeremiah 31:35 NIV
I pray your child’s upcoming school year does not resemble our illustration of the children in the raft, but I do hope you will not waste your efforts worrying or trying to control events that are beyond your ability. You have a choice in how you view the events of this school year and what your children will learn beyond the prepared curriculum. Will you allow your Heavenly Father to go to class and activities with your child, to help them handle the friendships and teacher choices while protecting your precious one every minute of each day? Will you hover closely to them, ready to jump in to take control when things begin to go off course? Or will you kneel in prayer?
Several times my sons have been treated more harshly than I would have preferred, occasionally Christian coaches or school faculty were the source of the storm. The events were unfair and hurtful. The times I allowed God to work out the situation, as I remained submissive to His authority, teaching my son to turn to the LORD to work out His will, a strengthening came about in my child. The other times, when I rushed in to save the day, my child saw my strength, but did not personally gain anything from the struggle. There are some circumstances when I can (and should) lend a hand to pull my child away from danger, but there are other times when I am of very little help and may only make matters worse. However, the Great I AM is able to rebuke the storm and guide my child safely to shore every time. If I sincerely want the best for my child, it is more important that I teach my child to rely on the Elohim, the LORD of Lords, than to rely on me. Our God is the one who allows the sea to be stirred and has set the stars in the heavens to guide the weary traveler, and Yahweh will always provide refuge in the shelter of His wing (Psalm 61:4).
Almighty Father in Heaven, the hardest part of being a parent is the submission to Your authority in times of struggle. When harsh circumstances blow in, my first reaction is to fight. Please help me to kneel in prayer and study Your Word before I rush in. You alone are able to save. You alone are able to calm the sea and rebuke the storm in and around my child (Matthew 8:23-26). I trust you to come to his/her rescue walking on the water, if that is the only way to reach them. Your sea of Grace is abundant, and we rest in Your unfailing love for each of us. Thank You for saving us. Amen