He Will Turn the Hearts of Fathers to Their Children

Yesterday was the first day of classes at both Appalachian State University and NC State University, and I spent a large portion of my day thinking about and praying for both Rayne and Abe, our two sons. Both of these young men have overcome some major obstacles to make it to college, and I am beyond proud of the work, both academic and personal, that each of them has done to make it this far. I feel truly blessed to know that both boys are starting on the path to adulthood, and even if they don't need me by their side at all times, I pray that they know that I am right behind them, cheering them on.

Truthfully, yesterday was a very hard day for me because it reminded me of the contrast between the two boys' situations. I sent a text to both boys to remind them that we love them, we are proud of them, and we are praying for them. According to my phone, Rayne read his text a little before he went to his first college class. Unfortunately, it appears that Abe has blocked my text messages, so he will never see what I sent. Even though he didn't see my text, the words are still true. I am so proud of Abe for getting into college, I still love him unconditionally, and I will never stop praying for him. In that respect, he is as much my child as Rayne and Carrie.

I know that college can be an exciting time, learning so much about the the world and getting to know people who may be very different from you, but I also know that early adulthood can be a test to find out just who you are. My prayer for both Rayne and Abe is that they will be true to themselves and not try to be someone just to fit in with the world. Most importantly, I pray that they will seek God in every aspect of their lives. The first part of this verse is already true: my heart is definitely turned toward my children. My hope is that second part will be true, as well: I pray that my children turn their hearts to their Father and Creator.

I cannot write about how much I love my children without talking about that amazing girl of ours. Yes, I am praying hard for our two boys in college, especially as they start classes, but I am praying just as much for Carrie. She will be starting her second year of high school next week, and after more than 20 years in the classroom, I realize that being a high school student can be just as much a test of who you are. I thank God that all our kids seem to have been blessed with good friends who make good choices, and I am especially thankful for the people that Carrie has chosen as friends.

Lastly, I have to say that I have started to really understand something about being a parent. My own mom said to me that I wouldn't understand just how much she loves me until I had kids of my own. I have always known how much I love her, but WOW, to realize that she has always loved me the way I love Rayne and Carrie and Abe is humbling. Thank you, Mom, for always loving and praying for me. I think I understand it now.

Heavenly Father, I can never thank you enough for the love you have given me through my own family. Every day, my love for them grows deeper and stronger. Thank you for loving me, but more importantly, thank you for loving my family even more than I ever can. In the loving name of Jesus I pray, Amen.