Having a number of children and grandkids is a blessing, but it can give us many reasons to worry. We worry about their financial needs, their housing needs, their educational and job needs. If we allow ourselves, we can be in a constant state of anxiety over the concerns of the people we love. There will always be practical needs that we can’t change, as well as the relationship and health problems that we wish we could fix.
We can cry and wish things were different or try to distance ourselves so that we don’t know the struggles our families are facing – what we don’t know won’t hurt us. That sounds selfish but nothing is harder than seeing those we love suffer and yet be unable to help.
But we are not God and even if we could fix their circumstances, would that be like helping a butterfly to escape its cocoon only to have it backfire because the butterflies’ wings are too weak because of our interference? Maybe the struggles are exactly what people need to become all that God created them to be.
That doesn’t mean we bow out of our families’ lives. There is one very important thing we can do. Probably the most important thing. We may no longer be those Mama Bears fiercely protecting our young, but we can be courageous Warriors, not filled with worry but fighting in prayer for our future generations.
No matter how society might try to mold our young people, they need our prayers of protection and blessing. We’ve been called to battle – are you ready?
Carol
