Diving board parenting

Some people leave their heart in New York City,

but I prefer to leave my right AirPod in Somerset, Pennsylvania.

It does sound a little more "romantical" anyway.

That is until you find that a semi truck has squished it.

RIP AirPod.

Well now I can be more aware of possible attacks,

from the RIGHT.

Hi Friends.

Happy Thursday to ya.

Ohio is giving this whole "Summer" idea it's best "shot," but it's been a good idea to keep the sweaters close at hand.

My oldest planned a girl's trip to celebrate her sister's 18th and I thought it was a terrific idea until I looked at the calendar and saw all of the events in May square dancing as they stuck their tongues out at me.

Nevertheless I pressed on because, well I have no idea why, you just get in the van and hope for the best.

Most of the time parenting toddlers you wish for another set of eyes,

But with teen/adults you smile and only keep one eye open.

I'm just thankful by this point in the month I still have a full head of hair.

That AirPod was like, "I'm gonna take one for the team."

In three days time I said "Goodbye" to three different sets of kids for all kinds of things.

For missions trips full of sand and anti-dengue meds,

(girl, you better be taking them, I don't care how bad it tastes!)

For internships, packing the car with snacks and laundry soap, knowing the snacks will make it but not too sure the car will,

And for out-of-town events that end up with one red-head coming to stay.

With our last of the Mohicans turning SIXTEEN next month, you can feel like you are up to your eyeballs in things to pray for.

I Thessalonians 5:17 was written primarily for parents of young adults- "Pray without ceasing.”

It's in some commentary somewhere I just know it.

Life throws some deep things at our kids.

And these are the same deep things that you yourself swam through with the Lord's help, so you know it's not only good for them but it sure makes for a wonderful start to this crazy life with the Lord as your navigator.

Seeing my kids leave the shallow end reminds me that I can be their greatest cheerleader or greatest discouragement.

I choose the former and not the latter.

Sometimes I hold my breath for a moment until they come up for air.

Sometimes I wonder if an adult set of "floaties" is too embarrassing to get them.

I know I know, don't worry, I'd have them monogrammed.

More than that, an industrial strength hankie for myself is in order.

Monogrammed of course.

I can be a Mom that promotes fear by pointing out how tall the ladder is to the diving board,

how windy it is up so high,

I can give them my own horrific story of that one bad belly flop that took the wind straight out of me,

Or I can pat them on the back, give them that "you can do this," wink and wave until they're out of sight.

Sitting in the shallow end makes for easy life.

Oh my how it makes for easy life.

But what fun is "easy?"

I remember when my oldest went to stay with friends when I was on bed rest with my youngest.

I found out through a very distraught daughter later that Isaac decided to jump straight into the deep side of my friend's pool without so much as a notice to those around him.

My friend either heard the splash or his sister yelling for help, but either way she jumped in after him and honestly saved his life.

I can drive myself absolutely crazy following my kids around for every wrong jump or I can pray and have a towel ready when they need dried off.

More than a shallow end corral-er, I want to be a diving board Mom.

I want to cheer for them through tears as they pull out of the driveway with their car making weird noises.

I want to be the Mom who swallows hard when you get the phone call that says, "I think the Lord is leading me..."

I want to be the Mom they know will pray about every test and time of testing.

The Mom who loves them when they are crazy helpful and when they are crazy stupid.

I want this crew of mine to know that I'm beyond excited for every wave, every splash, every cannonball and every sloppy jump they take faith.

For my 40th, my dear husband contacted so many friends to wish me a happy birthday.

One of those friends that I hadn't heard from in years wrote and told me that when we traveled together in college,

She remembered me telling her that if God ever gave me kids- more than anything, I wanted them to know that I loved them.

I wanted to tell them over and over how loved they are.

The Lord reminded me of this when my fifth was speaking at her graduation, thanking me for being her cheerleader.

She just about broke my heart wide open when she said,

"I have never once wondered if you loved me."

GHHHAAAAAH.....

See why I need that hankie?!

And that comment took me back to that dear letter.

The passage that has been rattling around my head as my kids all head out into different parts of their lives is Psalm 107: 23-24- "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep."

My kids have heard all of my stories of how God changed my life.

They have heard MY seeing the works of the Lord in my own young adulthood.

Now it's time for them to just run and jump right into the deep.

For them to see the works of the Lord for themselves,

and with those deep waters comes deeper understanding of how good the Lord is.

And how amazing his wonders are.

My job is to teach my kids to swim,

God's job is to take them into the deep with Him and show them things they would never know apart from His plan.

I myself remember some pretty deep waters with the Lord.

Times when it was just He and I against the world.

He was enough then and he is enough now.

When my oldest girl was praying about this mission's trip she told me, "I need to know it's God's will to go, so that I'll know that no matter what happens while I'm away, I am where God wants me."

(insert hankie)

Amen.

I'll be over here dusting off my pom poms for your homecoming.