My kids have their own stories to live. They have their own struggles to walk through. Their own triumphs to gain. They have a journey that I was a part of, not the whole. My job was to do my part in giving them a strong foundation on which to build and a toolbox filled with tools they could use, as necessary. It was never my job to live their lives or write their stories.
I remember when my firstborn went through this stage as they left home.
When my oldest left home, my friend Dona spoke words to me that gave me much needed perspective for this season. She said, “Sheri, the world is a harsh teacher. Make sure your grown kids know they can always come home and know they will be loved.”
She was right and probably saved me a lot of heartache, in the end. I have been learning to let love reign in my heart and in every interaction with my kids as they have aged. (This took practice. I was NOT good at this, at first!). My grown kids are now 27, 26, 24, & 23 and they are still in the process of ‘rejecting’ but it has not negatively impacted our relationship. I know it isn’t personal and I lean into loving them right where they are at and who they are at this moment. And as they have more life experiences, there are sweet new aspects of them embracing things I taught them and leaning into mom for insight and greater understanding. It is really quite beautiful!
Momma, do your part. Lay that foundation. Teach, train, and invest. Don’t take personally the normal rejection that happens as your kids age. Pray and never cease praying. And keep love as the hallmark of your heart and your home toward your kids. Love makes home inviting and a place of safety. Love.
“Delightfully loved ones, if He loved us with such tremendous love, then ‘loving one another’ should be our way of life!” (1 John 4:11, TPT)
