When my first child was about 10 days old, we were living in Donnycarney, Dublin, Ireland. A wet, windy day I was walking him in the stroller and the perennial 'Mrs Bird' - who was older than Methuselah and more enigmatic than Melchizedek - peered over her hedge and said,
'Remember, he's not yours. He is on loan from God, and only for a little while.' That moment I actually felt a wave of relief come over me. As parents we feel overwhelmed at the challenge of protecting our child from the woes of this world, and yet making them strong, able to face into, overcome... We do everything we can to protect them, inform them, teach mercy, teach consequence, that some things really do not matter, that some things really do matter... And then what when things veer off? I now have 2 teens, and 3 younger than that. It's hard to drive straight! Just today I found myself really pondering the question, 'Who am I parenting for?' Seriously, what if one's ideals for a child get lost in life? Do you stop parenting? No. So whose cause are you now driving, if not your own? Ephesians 3:14 reinforces Mrs. Bird's word of advice, and blows a word of caution and freedom through the soul. It says that God is not only our Father, but the one from whom every father derives its name. My cause as a father is ultimately to shepherd, chaperone, love and guide 'my' child - because my child is not my own. My child is the creation, the offspring, the beloved child of Father God - a gift to and through me, on loan for only a little while.
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AuthorPeter Walker. I hope you enjoy these reflections. Please feel free to comment!:) Archives
February 2024
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