Derek’s parents have hit the scene and have guested this week on our blog! We truly wouldn’t be where we are without them. Love you!
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It sounds pretty cliche. It may even sound pretty simple. But exactly what are we letting go of and why? As parents, we live out this phrase so many times in our lives simply because our children don’t come with a set of instructions. So who or what are we supposed to turn to during those times when we are uncertain about the situation or the future? We were asked by our World Racers, Derek and Bethany, our son and his wife, to write a blog about being a World Race parent. I hesitated before answering because it seemed like somewhat of an intrusion into what we have gone through personally as WR parents. After all, they are married and have left the nest. Right? Exactly! But they are still deeply loved by us. We all have our own story about this WR journey. I’ll use one of our favorite quotes, “It’s the same only different.” — meaning we all had to go through the same preparation but each journey for racers and parents has been different. So as a WR parent who loves her relationship with her Savior let me share a little about the WR journey of letting go and letting God.
I have spent the past few days thinking about the last ten months and how would I write about our experience as WR parents. I have prayed about it asking God to give me flowing eloquent words to portray our journey. None of them came. The only thoughts that have stuck with me are the milestones in our kids’ lives where we have had to trust God to guide us. They want to hold their own utensil to feed themselves. They want to let go of our hand and walk by themselves. They learn words and want to express their own feelings. They want us to let go of the bike so they can ride by themselves. They want us to let go of the car keys so they can drive the car by themselves. We applaud as they graduate from high school and college to go face the world as themselves. As they grow they learn and progress in their ability to do for themselves. As parents, this brings pride and, yes, a little bit of fear. Should we let go? Is it time to let go?
Please understand that I’m not writing about letting go because I want to cling to my kids or have my kids cling to me forever. I’m writing about letting go because it plays a huge part of being a WR parent. When Derek and Bethany told us about their plans and how much funding was needed it seemed quite monumental in the grand scheme of things. After much praying and discussing we knew it was definitely a “let go and let God” situation. Actually, every situation should be but some stand out more than others and this one surely stood out. From that moment on we did what we could to help as well as stay out of God’s way.
We were a homeschool family for twelve years. I taught and graduated both of our boys. Each day began with devotion and prayer. They heard me thank God for trusting us with them. They heard me ask God’s blessings on their lives. They heard me tell them that they were created to do great things as long as they allowed God to guide their hearts and minds. Each day we dealt with what life had to offer whether it was good or bad knowing that another day of letting go would arrive and the boys needed to be prepared to walk with God into their future. Our job at that point would be to continue praying over them and encourage them.
As we watched this journey unfold for Derek and Bethany, my husband and I used it as a time to grow our own relationships with God. It may sound crazy but I viewed it as a team effort with God the obvious leader. Through much prayer and discussion we had to decide when we thought He was calling us into a more visible role or if we were to let go and just be praying quietly on the sideline. I will be honest with you. It can be quite frustrating when your human nature wants to fix something or be involved in something but you hear God’s whisper to just be still and be quiet. All in all, it has been a very enlightening 10 months as we have watched our World Racers move from country to country sharing the gospel and sharing God’s love. We have seen them involved in so many different kinds of things that have grown them as well as deepen their relationship with our Savior, and we are proud of them. With the funding complete and the race well on its way we knew that God was at work in their lives.
Well, we can now say that we are the parents of missionaries. They have traveled the world for God. During that time they have announced that they are being called as independent missionaries to Sombor, Serbia. Anybody that knows me very well knows that I face reality and have a tendency to look at the big picture most of the time. Sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad. To be honest, my husband and I selfishly don’t want them to go. To be honest, we know we can’t stand in God’s way. My human nature tells me how much I will miss seeing them. My human nature tells me that I don’t want to even think about possible grandchildren living that far away from us. My human nature thinks that it may possibly know best. Guess what. My human nature is nothing compared to the infinite wisdom, love, and plans of God. So, yes, here we are again facing another situation in which we will let go and let God show us what is best for His kingdom. I believe that being a World Race parent has helped introduce us into the world of being parents of missionaries. Hopefully, we will continue to grow stronger in that role and enjoy the journey.
The answer is that there is a time and place for letting go. I believe that it comes with each milestone in life. Most importantly, when you “let go” always be prepared to “let God”.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
