The Chicks have Flown the Coop

Watching your adult kids grow up is a difficult thing. You think you raised them right, taught them your values, instilled in them a solid belief system, and then out they go into the world. Like a mama bird who is teaching her babies how to fly, you give them a loving push out of the nest, and like a mama bird you sometimes see them fall on their face. What sorrow, what frustration, what sadness it can bring to watch your baby bird fall to the ground. They seemed ready to fly, they showed all the signs. The fact is: they have choices to make, and they do not always make wise ones. They stumble, they fall. Sigh, it is difficult to watch. We want to cry out, to implore them not to make the same mistakes that we made or that others make. Sometimes they listen, but then there are those times that they continue on in the same direction. We know.  We have been there. We have suffered the consequences, cried the tears of regret, wished we could go back and undo some things we’ve done. Trouble is, experience is the best teacher, and one that our kids will have to learn from. They will make mistakes, they will fall, they will have regrets, but they will also learn from them-as we did-and hopefully, prayerfully, eventually step back onto the path where they choose to walk with God, to seek His will rather than their will. The time in between for a parent is difficult. We once had control over everything they did, but now we have none. We’ve let go of it little by little (hopefully), but the desire to want to take some of it back is there, especially when we see them wander. We can’t go back though. We have to continue to let go, over and over again. The best, and sometimes the only thing we can do, is to get on our knees and lift them up to the One who knows their future and loves them exponentially more than we could ever imagine. He also does not want to see them fall, but is there to catch them when they do. Watching your adult kids grow up is a difficult thing, but knowing that God’s got them in the palm of His hand should give us the comfort and peace that we need to watch them fly.