Tenderly Entrusting
I watched as the little girl a few pews ahead rested in her mother’s arms. Neither one seemed to be clinging too tightly. Rather, she rested gently upon her mama’s shoulder. As we all know, one day we must let go as mamas whether it’s our little girls or our little boys. We will one day entrust them over to others who will care for them and they, in turn, will do likewise. And let me say—it’s hard.
It’s hard because we wonder: Who will hold the ones we raised as tenderly as we have? Who will care for the little one, once grown, and continue to foster their heart? Who will be there when the tough times come—and when those tough times come—will this person of their choosing be there to see them through?
What does a mama do in such a time as this when the letting go is difficult? This is what a mama does. Mamas PRAY attention to the details as we grow in this process of letting go. It’s hard, you know—trusting others with our own. I suppose the mamas of the ones we eventually release our own to also feel the tug of tenderness and wonder if theirs will be cared for in return. No doubt the other mama wonders as much as we do—how it will all go down, or up, or in-between.
As I watched the little girl with her mama’s arms wrapped round her, I noticed several grown college students nearby. They were young men who had shown up at this particular church service—with their buddies. Tough and gruff they looked as the unkempt hair and disheveled relaxed style of dress were evidence that they now lived on their own. No mama to set out their wardrobes or to yank an ear or two in order to cajole them into going to church. No—these four young men showed up all on their own.
As I studied the mama just ahead of me, I suddenly could envision this process of letting go. It came to me in one fell swoop that the truth of it is— we never truly have to let go. No—we do not. We do not let go, but what we do instead is hand them from our hands to His hands as He continues to hold the very one He created. We hand them over in trust because He is the One who can love and protect as only a Father can. Why? Because He is our Father…and her Father, and his Father and their Father and each one of our own whom He entrusted to us for a season.
Deep down we want to protect our own from all harm in this world as the harsh winds blow. That desire would be natural. But remember the boys in the boat when He calmed the storm in Matt. 8:23-27 and again in Mark 4:35-41? Another time Peter stepped out of the boat and when he got in his own way with his own thoughts—Jesus pulled him on up to eye level in Mark 6:4753? So why do we doubt? Why are we afraid? Why is handing them over to His care often times still so difficult?
It’s difficult because we do not trust because we are not God, and He not only knew it but knows it all too well. Just because we forget how this all works this side of the veil doesn’t mean He does. He is God and we are not and thus He came because He knew we were weak.
And what did He say we should do when we are weak?
1. Step up to the plate and give it all we’ve got.
2. Try harder. 3. Or was it He who said, “When you are weak, I am strong.”
And if you picked #3, you would be correct, except He worded it much better in His Word. 2 Corin. 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Moving on to verse 12:10 it gets even better. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities’ for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (Meaning— when I am weak, I’m actually strong because He in us makes us strong.)
That’s what Paul taught as he caught the eye of our Savior when he was walking on the road to Damascus one day. As he was filled to full with weaknesses of flesh, mind, body and soul—the Lord got hold of him and pulled him right on into ministry. God held.
So what is this all about? It’s about a God who not only can, but does hold fast. It’s about a God who will never ever let go of us or the little ones we hold in our heart. You see, He’s not asking us to let go of those we love, but rather to hand them on over so He may hold. He asks us to entrust Him to the strength of a Father as He guides and protects them on the rest of their journey for the rest of their lives. Amen.
