Thanks Mom and Dad

Yesterday I went to part of a Women of Faith conference via simulcast at a local church. I didn't know anyone there so during lunch I had the opportunity to meet a lady who told me about her family. She told me of the heart ache that she has for her daughter that is far from Christ and she blames herself because they never had a good relationship, they were "like oil and water."

Though I know that that woman was not the reason her daughter is not walking with Christ, I do know that we, as parents, do have a large impact on our children's lives. That conversation made me think about my parents and the impact that they had on my life. Today is mom's birthday (she would have been 61 today) and tomorrow would have been mom and dad's 37th anniversary so I just wanted to take a minute to say "Thanks Mom and Dad" for the impact that they had on me.

A couple of weeks ago while doing my devotions I came across this paragraph in one of them:

Pharaoh ordered that every male born to the Hebrews be thrown in the Nile. Moses was born during this time and, after three months, his mother realized she could hide him no longer. Imagine her angst as she left him in the basket among the reeds in the Nile River! She did not know what the future held, but she released her son by her faith in God."

As I read that it made me stop and thank God for my parents. You see, those risks that I took early in my life I was only able to take because my parents had a great faith in our great God. They trusted Him and entrusted me to His care. I can remember them often telling me that "the best place for you to be is in the center of God's will for your life."

Looking back lately I have wondered what they were thinking at various points in my life when they just had to entrust me to God. (I would love to hear if you were ever privy to any of their thoughts when I was working towards any of my "risky" plans and ideas.) I am so grateful that they did not hold me back when I told them of what I felt God would have me to do. I am thankful that they never communicated to me the fear that I am sure they had in their hearts. I am thankful that they gave me their blessing even when they didn't understand what I was doing or why I was doing it.


I can think of one time that mom expressed her fear to me. It was when we were making plans to go to Bangladesh when Caleb was a newborn. She asked me a couple of times, "Sonja, are you sure you and Caleb couldn't come and stay with us while Glenn goes?" I think that she was more afraid for her grandbaby that couldn't get travel immunizations than for me. Ultimately she turned us over to God and entrusted us to Him which she proved by allowing us to buy plane tickets with their credit card because we didn't have enough financial support to buy them quite yet. Little did she know that she would be in the cardiac ICU fighting for her life when we went to Bangladesh and that leaving her would take more faith than I would have ever dreamed.

I know that my dad feared for us as well. When we were applying to medical he often expressed his concern as to how we were going to survive financially when Glenn couldn't work for 4 years. At that time I had the chance to remind him of of how God has provided for us in the past and remind him that God would provide for us in the future. Little did dad know much his end of life financial decisions would help us in that arena.

Thank You, God, for my parents' faith in You. Thank You that they allowed me to make mistakes and to take steps of faith when I am not sure I would have, looking at things through these parent eyes. Please help me to entrust these kids of mine to You and release them by faith like Moses' parents and mine for whatever You have in store for them. From all You've brought us through they already have such a great faith in You and what You can do. May I never be a stumbling block to them but always be an instrument that continually points them to You.