A Prayer for the Mamas

"How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand."  Psalm 139:17-18 (NIV)

Passages.

For Moms there is the inescapable reality that time moves on and that everyday our children journey one step closer to the place where apron strings must be loosed and eventually untied.  We will always be the Mama, but our roles change as we allow our children to press on toward independence and finding their place in the world.

My youngest entered Middle School today.  I watched as she took charge of making sure that her supplies were in order.  She chose her first day outfit independently.  And then she stood at the mirror straightening her hair.  The reflection I saw there caused my heart to skip a beat.

How did that transformation happen?  Where did the years go?  Wasn't it just yesterday that we brought her home from China?  How did that little baby with sparkly almond-shaped eyes and chubby cheeks and kissy lips become this beauty straightening her long brown locks?  Without a bit of help from her Mama?

Oh, we've been down this road before.  We've witnessed the move to high school, then to college, and then that walk down the aisle that joined our girls in marriage with the man they love.  Each passage was met with conflicting emotions, joy at the women they've become and longing for the little girls they used to be.

So I figure that there are lots of us Mamas on the threshold of a new season, somehow mustering up the courage to face the day with a smile of confidence, denying those impulses that tempt you to take those apron strings and tie that child tightly to the security of home.  We must brave the new day.  And trust in the One Who fashioned that child, Who knows the plans He has for them, and Who holds them in the palm of His hand.

Whether your child is skipping into preschool, entering the doors of a Kindergarten classroom, moving into the tumultuous years of middle school or high school, moving their belongings to a college campus, or preparing to walk the wedding aisle, know that you are not alone.  And there will be great joy in the days ahead!

Lord, lots of us Mamas are fighting the tears today.  Our arms want to cling tightly rather than opening wide to let our babies go.  And Father, we know You understand.  You watched your Son leave the beauty and security of the heavenly home You shared to come to this earth.  To grow from a tiny baby into a man.  To make His way through the milestones toward adulthood.  Hold us in Your arms today.  And even more importantly, hold our children.  Lord, You promised that if we train up a child in the way he should go that he will not depart from it.  Please help them to stay on Your path.  Protect them from the evils of this world.  Draw them to Yourself through Your Holy Spirit.  Help them to remember to Whom they belong...not just us, but You, the Creator of everything, the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent.  We know that You love our children even more than we do.  Thank You for Your promises.  We love You.