Over Come with Gratitude

Wednesday, I stood next to my high school senior in a college chapel service with 3,500 students worshiping together.  Next year, I will drive her to this place and leave her there to begin the next stage..the first stage of her grown up life.  I am not sure how this happened, but standing there next to her singing praise and worship in such a God centered place I was overcome with gratefulness to God for the gift of my oldest.  I was so overwhelmed by His goodness as I sat there thinking about parenting my dear Emily, and thinking about how she has grown up.  I have made so many mistakes. We dabbled in church, at best, when we were planning our lives, and giving birth to her.  Our first years of parenting had us attending church, and experiencing some radical changes because of the teaching of His word, but we didn't plan for this.  We didn't begin our life on the solid rock.  We didn't start off praying over this baby, leading her in family devotions, or even hoping that she would give her life so fully to Him.  We didn't have a clue about doing any of that in those early days of our faith.  As God has begun to set us apart as we have studied His word, our Emily has watched us stumble along.   She has experienced the radical change that God has called our family to right beside us, and she has seen the repentance of practices and sin as we have learned more and more about who He desires us to be.  I have been far from the model that one would set out to be when they begin this life in Christ, but in His goodness God has blessed me with this big girl anyway.  She has a heart for the Lord.  She is going to a bible college in the fall.  It is a place where they have corporate worship together twice weekly, and bible studies in the dorm.  It is a place where the professors disciple their students by doing more than teaching them academic content.  It is a place where my sweet girl will be challenged to seek God's will for her life, and given skills to use all her talents and interests for Him.  As I stood next to her, I was absolutely overcome that God would allow me the blessing of this child.  I definitely didn't earn it, but that is the beauty of our Lord.  Because of His grace and mercy, I am able to enjoy watching God working in the life of my precious bio baby.  We will miss her oh so much as she leaves our nest next year, and moves to this place, but we are beyond excited to see where the Lord takes her as she grows.  We couldn't be more thrilled that she is able to attend such an amazing, Christ centered place to explore what God might have for her in this next stage.  He has provided immeasurably as the scholarships she has been given are amazing.  Only God could have orchestrated such an incredible life, and I pray that she grabs hold of it as she leaves our nest to build her own.