Jerusha: I’m happy to welcome back my friend and fellow author Liz Tolsma to the FW Blog! Liz is giving away one e-book copy of her new release, The Pink Bonnet, to one of you! Leave a comment below to enter the giveaway.
By Liz Tolsma
As parents, we do so much worrying about our children, from before they are ever born to… Well, I’ll let you know when I stop worrying about my kids!
When they are small, we worry about them being healthy, meeting all their developmental milestones, and being safe. The worry only intensifies as they grow older. When they go to school, we worry about them making friends and making the right ones. We worry about them getting good grades.
And in this day and age, we worry about them coming home to us at the end of the day.
I could go on and on about the fears parents have for the children. Even now that my children are (mostly) grown, I’m concerned for them every day. Are they eating well? Are they being careful when they drive? Are they following the Lord the way we taught them? It’s all the worse because they aren’t around for me to see them every day to know these things.
I’ll admit to having spent many sleepless nights in worry over my children. And I’m not talking about when they were little. I’m talking about in the past year. If I allowed it, my fears for my children could consume my life.
And sometimes, they do.
In the past few months, I have watched parents go through the worst of the worst with their children. My own family has endured great pain. I can’t tell myself not to be afraid, because bad things do happen to our kids. They walk away from the Lord. They suffer. They get hurt. And sometimes, they die.
My fear seems to be reasonable. The next time, that bad thing could happen to my child.
God doesn’t promise that it won’t. That is when we must lean on Him and His sovereignty, trusting fully that He knows what He is doing and that what He is doing is best.
We may not be able to see it at the time. We may never be able to see it until we reach heaven. That is what faith is all about.
It is in these times that we cry out to the Lord and bring all our worries and fears before Him. That is when we must drop our burdens at His feet and let Him carry them, because they are too much for our frail frames.
In those moments, He fills us with the peace that passes all understanding. He is always faithful.
You came near when I called on you; you said, “Do not fear!” – Lamentations 3:57
He will always be there with us, walking with us through each struggle and trial we have with our children, each fear from the moment we first learn we are to be parents until we join God in heaven.
When we, in the words of the Psalmist, drench our couches with tears in worry over our children, that is the time to cry out to the Lord, trust that He always has our children in His perfect keeping, and lean on Him for support along the way.
Are you a parent who struggles with worry about your children? How has God helped you battle that fear? Please share!
Photos by Danielle MacInnes, The Honest Company, and Lewis Parsons on Unsplash. Original graphics designed by Jerusha Agen.
Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, prairie romance novellas, a romantic suspense, and an Amish romance.
She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a U.S. Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student.
Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping.
Please visit her blog, The Story behind the Story, at www.liztolsma.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@LizTolsma), Instagram, and Pinterest. She is also a regular contributor to the Midwest Almanac blog.
Liz is giving away a free e-book copy of The Pink Bonnet to one of you! Simply leave a comment below for your chance to win! (Winner to be randomly selected Aug. 12 and contacted via email.)
THE PINK BONNET
How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?
Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children.
With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Millie uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.
Check out the book trailer here!
Comments 4
What a blessing that God is always near and carries us through the times of difficulty with children, grandchildren, and every relationship! Thanks for sharing.
That is so true! Thanks, Anne!
I love this line that you wrote: “That is when we must drop our burdens at His feet and let Him carry them, because they are too much for our frail frames.” That is exactly what got me through an incredibly difficult time with one of our daughters. The burden truly was too much for me to carry, so I had to drop it at His feet over and over. (Because you know how we like to pick things up that we lay down!) I eventually learned it’s best to leave it there and not pick it back up!
Oh, yes. How we love to take these burdens on over and over again. Thanks for sharing, Jeanna!