After taking some time to process the tragic shooting at the elementary school in New Town, CT & speaking to some some IOH families over the holidays who recently lost a parent, it makes logical sense to cling to those we love even more. Yet, I’m still reminded of the idea of having “Open Hands”, even in such a time as this. Again I ask the question, how do you savor those around you without holding too tightly?
As I read articles about the shooting & thought about how my oldest will be entering public kindergarten in just over a year, my gut reaction was that there was no way I wanted him to enter into our broken world that soon! Then, once my motherly instincts calmed down a bit, I began to think more rationally. We do live in a broken world, don’t we? We see it in so many ways around us: shootings involving the innocent, disease, longing in our hearts, emotional baggage from our childhoods, & much more. So we have a choice… we can live life in fear or we can live more fully trusting in our Creator, with open hands for his protection over us & those we love & even strangers. Keep in mind, this does not always unfold the way we might hope. If I could control all circumstances in my life & yours, I would take away all the pain & suffering. Who would not want to do that? But since we live in this broken world, we simply can’t control it. We can rest in knowing that the One who made us has our best interest in mind. He loves us. He loves those who we love. He loves those who we don’t naturally love. He knows the number of hairs on our head, the number of grains of sand on this earth, & He knows the cry of our hearts.
So when the time comes… & my son heads off to kindergarten in a public setting for hours a day, I will entrust him to our Creator. I will let go with open hands. It won’t be easy. But it will enable me to experience life more fully. He will learn so much. The good, the bad, the ugly. He will enter into this broken world & find the beauty. I’m confident in that. Our Creator will be watching over him while he is out of my sight.
A friend recently released a new album where she sings about this topic. I love the line at the end where she talks about how her kids singing “Jesus Loves Me” is a reminder to her that He really truly does love us, despite our lack of trust.
The Guardian by: Heidi Wilson
Your nature is so good
help me remember to trust You
the way that i should
cause he is only 6 weeks old & he is speaking to my soul
he points me to You with his smile
O God i feel so nervous & can i really do this?
&
You say “Trust in Me My child”
Cause You are good, You are good, You are good
Your always on my side
You are good, You are good, O You are good
Your Holy Spirit will guide me
O it will guide me, guide me
Well they feel like my heart, they make me whole now
But i must release them to you to grow now
O & you move me, O you move me
You are good, You are good, O You are good
& You are always on their side
You are good, You are good, You are good
Your Holy Spirit will guide them
O it will guide them, guide them
O & when they are marching around this house
& they are singing with all their might:
“Jesus Loves Me this i know
for the Bible tells me so
Little Ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong”
& its for them, but its for me too
cause this song that they sing tells me
that i can trust my kids to You
Cause You are so good
Cause You are so good
