Jack was sworn in to the Air National Guard Friday. At 17, he has taken a massive step into adulthood, and begun to chart his path forward.
People— fellow mothers— keep asking me how I feel, what this means for me. And maybe because this isn’t my first child, or maybe because I realized years ago that some form of enlistment was in my son’s future, I can say this:
I am delighted. And it means I’m watching another child fly.
I’ve already watched my three oldest spread their wings in various ways. I’ve prayed over decisions I knew weren’t mine to make, and asked God to be present and clear in His leading. I’ve rejoiced in their successes. I’ve winced at the “what ifs” and offered advice with the caveat, “Of course, that’s what I would do. But this is between you and the Lord. I trust you to listen to Him.”
Did you hear that last part?
I trust you to listen to Him.
Here’s the thing I am learning as I get my ankles wet in the tide of parenting adults: I have to trust them.
I have to assume that all those years of laying the foundation, of being the compass that points back to the true north of Jesus, of trying to make it clear that I have surrendered my will for His… it wasn’t missed. By the time my children are old enough to be making life choices, they should know where to look for the kind of guidance they need. And if they don’t, well, I can’t make them.
The truth is, I never could. Early childhood gives us the illusion of control over our children, but the teenage years strip that away. By the time they’re making grow-up choices, that fact is cemented. You either trust them to listen to God’s leading and walk out the good He planned in advance for them… or you enter a season of tug of war that leaves you both frustrated, angry, and exhausted.
I watched Jack take his oath on Friday, and yes, I teared up at the weight of what he was so willingly stepping into. But I also felt my heart swell with pride. Not for his patriotic spirit, or the role he was taking in defending something in which he so passionately believes. In a room packed with friends and family, my son grabbed on with confidence to the next step of his life. My joy was in Jack’s decision to go where God led him, and his obedience to a calling that was an unknown quantity in our family. Jack has taken a direction from the Lord that he knows might ultimately be more costly than any of us is willing to admit. I’ve watched him count the cost, and I’ve also watched him discover the very beginnings of who God has made him to be.
This is between Jack and the Lord. And Jack is listening.
I trust him.
Above all, I trust Him.
I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. —3 John 1:4