This poem has been on my mind the past few days. I have a friend who's 18 year old son left home for the first time this week to follow their chosen life path. Although it's been several years since I first wrote this one, that feeling of watching one of your own move away is still fresh in my heart. I have gone through it twice now and still have one more to go, and I can tell you that it doesn't get easier...But as Christians, we raise our children to love the Lord and to grow up to have an impact for Christ in the world. That only happens as we give them the freedom to follow the path that God has called them to. To be sure, there is a peace in that confidence but it still leaves a void in the heart and in the home. The key, like so many things that we encounter in life, is that we must learn to simply leave it...
In His Hands
She
left for college recently
My
first born flown from the nest
And
a piece of my heart is gone with her
Like
it was pulled right from my chest
I
know she is where she’s supposed to be
Of
that I have no doubt
But
how to deal with this hole inside
I’ll
just have to figure out
I
miss the hugs and kisses
And
our private little talks
But
through the wonder of what lies ahead
I
feel like something has been lost
You
see I loved her before I knew her
From
the first heartbeat on the ultrasound
And
with every “first” I watched her grow
Knowing that this was where she was bound
So
even though life won’t be the same
I
know God has a plan
And
He loves her more than I ever could
So
I’ll just leave it in His hands
And
someday many years from now
When
her own child moves away
She’ll
understand with certainty
The way I feel today
We
raise them to one day leave the nest, but I think sometimes we underestimate just how hard it will be to
let them fly.
