My boy is a man! I didn’t wake up today and realize this – it has been unfolding in front of me for years but today the wind has been knocked out of me with the reality of that three letter word – MAN!!! From diaperhood to adulthood in the blink of an eye – where have the last 23 years gone???
How do I even begin to describe 23 years in a few paragraphs or count the many blessings that my son has bestowed on myself and many others? How do I describe to all the man of God he has become? A little over a week ago my son graduated from college. My little boy had on his black cap and gown bedazzled with a purple and gold tassel and a cord of silver around his neck. He walked in beaming with a huge smile on his face as “Pomp and Circumstance” swelled and echoed throughout the auditorium. As he took his seat on the stage with the other graduates, my mind replayed the story of my boy’s life which began on April 12, 1990.
A series of snapshots flashed quickly as if they were a deck of cards being fanned before a card game. A picture of my son squeezed into a onesie, another with Tasmanian devil slippers on feet that were just learning how to take steps, many pictures with his big brother squeezing him tight out of love or maybe frustration, pictures of him swimming in the summer or trying to build a snowman in the winter, pictures with his childhood friends all wearing silly grins of sheer delight, snapshots of birthday parties, family, grandparents and finally the one that is flash frozen in front of me now – my boy – no man- in his cap and gown ready to begin a new chapter.
A deep longing for one more minute of the boy nestled in my arms as we watched the nest of baby robins outside tucked into the corner of our porch filled every pore of my being. A deep sadness for what was but a new hope for what is to come slowly seeps into my soul. The longing for what was will slowly be replaced by God’s promises. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.” Hebrews 13:5-6
The longing for what was turns into a yearning and excitement for the new chapter about to evolve. My heart of sadness sheds its layers one by one at the prospect of how my son is following God’s plan for him to become a youth minister and now… flash forward to this weekend, the beginning of the chapter-the one that has been written and continues to be written by God. The move to a new state will be complete and my son will begin his first job as a Youth and Family Minister. I see a glimpse into the next chapter – a small teaser has been written but as of this moment the words, sentences and chapter are all God’s to slowly reveal on the page.
I look forward to this next chapter and I am so proud and excited to watch, learn and be a part of this journey. I will pray as a mother prays for her children and I will hold this verse near to my heart knowing that God’s purpose is your purpose and it’s going to be an amazing ride.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
