Key Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:5b – “ a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;”

Devotional:

“You’re going to miss this when it’s gone.”  How many times did parents with younger kids tell me this as my child was throwing a fit in the grocery store line, or running around like a crazy child in the restaurant lobby? About a million. And now, as my kids are in their teenage years, here I am telling parents of young children the very same thing. Much like the parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-31, this was not a time to condemn or put to shame, but a time to embrace his son who had come home! 

When we have our kids in our home, there are many moments of joy and success, our embrace uplifts and encourages them. It is through our love that children develop a sense of security, confidence, and self-worth. We must be present, actively engaged, and willing to share their joys and sorrows. Our embrace should communicate that they are unconditionally loved and cherished. Think about how Jesus is constantly embracing us as parents no matter our faults or failures. He constantly provides us with grace and celebrates in our successes.

Learning to be present in the season that we are in has not come naturally to me, but it has been something I have learned to do as I see each season move more and more quickly by. And now as we are preparing to launch our first child into college in a few years, I recognize the need to release them well into the world. With a firm foundation of their faith and a growing relationship with their Lord a Savior.  

I attribute this to the Lord of course, and the amazing community that God has blessed us with. God blessed us with a community of people, but this did not come while we stood around idle and wished for it. We prayed and prayed and then built relationships with others who we knew would speak truth to our kids if they went to them about struggles they were having. And now, we have the opportunity to see the fruit of this. Our family and friends do exactly this for our kids and we will release them into the world, praying that they live out the calling God has on their lives and helping to guide them along the way.

If community is something that you long for, I would say, pray fervently for this from the Lord. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

And then be intentional with the people God places around you. Relationships take work but they are worth it. God has called us to be in community with one another, to have others alongside us to help us embrace and release.

Questions for reflection:

• Reflect on the times in your life that you have experienced the embrace of God and the discipline of God. How do both of these reflect God’s goodness as our Father? 
• What am I doing to build community around my children and family?