He is a Hoverer

Greetings,

I think it’s safe to say that for any of us who have ever loved a child, raised a child, or lent a helping hand in caring for a child, it has not always been crystal clear in knowing when to let go.  I remember struggling to let Rachel go to church sleep-away camp when she was 13.  I finally relented but was in a state of semi-panic for three days.  I remember dropping Jorgie off at UofM when he was 17 thinking, “Will he eat enough and get enough rest?”  Mind you, his college was a 15-minute drive away, but I couldn’t help myself.  Here he was, an almost 18-year-old man who was more than capable of taking care of himself, and I tried not to obsess. About two weeks later we showed up with a care package, and Jorge, in the most loving way possible, without trying to insult me (I hope), said as we got down from the car, “Bibi, cut the cord already.” 

Well, the nerve! He had a point, however, and I guess we all learn as we go.  But when it comes to our Lord, there is no guessing game.  There is no trying to figure out if He will gently nudge us out into the big wide world to face life on our own because He is a hoverer!  He is the ultimate helicopter parent, and this is the best possible news!

“Protect me…; hide me in the shadow of Your wings as You hover over me” (Psalm 17:8 The Living Bible).

God is always with us, and I find such comfort in knowing that He hovers, lingers, poises, sticks around, and remains with me all day every day. There is protection, peace, guidance, joy, and hope when the Lord is near.  Thank Him that He will never cut the cord!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we look forward to independence as we grow older, but never from You.  The longer we live, the more we realize how much we need You every moment of every day.  Thank You that You are always nearby.  Help us to find peace in the coolness and safety of Your shadow. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Helicopter Parent~

Psalm 33:13-15The Lord looks down from heaven;
    He sees every human being.
From His dwelling place God observes    all who live on earth...God knows everything they do.

Happy Monday:)

This past weekend I was remembering a time when my granny said, 'Yenisita, I can't take my eyes off of you for one minute; you're always getting into trouble."

She said it in response to my changing the time on the kitchen clock a couple hours ahead.  When it hit 7 PM, which was really five, and grandpa still hadn't come home and cell phones didn't exist, my precious Mama nearly panicked.  

Why did I do it? I do not recall.  But thinking about that made me think of our sweet Lord.  For you see, He never takes His eyes off of us--not even for a second.  

Left to our own devices, who knows what kind of trouble we could get into.  And what about our kids?

Stormie Omartian, whom I love says, and I am paraphrasing here, that God's protection is like an umbrella.  It covers us when we go out in the storm.  But sometimes we purposely get out from under it.  We make unwise decisions that leave us exposed.  When our kids are tempted to do something silly or actually do something wrong, our prayers invite God to pursue them with the umbrella anyway.  Amen to that!

I have several friends whose kiddos are away at college, and sometimes thinking about the countless ways they could get into trouble can be overwhelming and worrisome.  But in reality, sometimes even those who live with us in the same house are up to mischief and we had no idea. The key is to pray.  Only God can be with any of us 24/7.  He is the ultimate helicopter parent, and we need to be grateful. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that even when we are not physically near our families, You are there.  You are 100% aware of what is going on, so we come to You and ask to be fully covered with Your powerful umbrella of protection.  And even if we try to scoot out from underneath it by our choices, have mercy, and keep it firmly in place.  Thank You for Your willingness to always answer us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~