“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
“My daughter got married,” he said. “She was a beautiful bride!”
“How did you survive the wedding?”
“I told God I did not know how I could ever give up my daughter, and so God showed me how to do it.”
“How to give her up?”
“Yes. When she got married, it was time for me, her father, to give her up. I promote her husband in her eyes. I no longer try to direct her life. It is time for me to change our relationship. Instead of directing her, I encourage her and her husband to make decisions together.”
“Was this a hard transition?”
“Yes, but God has blessed me because I obeyed Him. Now I have a wonderful daughter who loves me and I have a new son-in-law who loves me. I let go at the right time.
When the right time to let go comes, realize that it is time. A baby learning to walk needs to hold someone’s hand. But if that baby is never allowed to walk alone, he or she will be crippled. Your goal as a mother is to guide your child to strength and independence. This means letting go at the right time.
If we let go at the right time, we give children self-respect and self-confidence. These qualities enable them to make decisions about what they feel God is asking them to do.
If you are finding it hard to let go, know that all of us do. The same God who showed my friend how to let go will help you, too.
Kimberly Snider is a missionary to the Philippines.
From “Moments for Moms,” a free email subscription.
Copyright (c) 2004 Women’s Ministries of the Assemblies of God.
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