Growing Up

I'm running late in my blog today because I got up early to take my second child to move-in day at college.  I've got to say that I'm not handling having two of them in college very well.  It seems like the time has just flown by.  They grow up all too fast.

Manda's in an orientation meeting and Traci and I are supposed to participate in some of these on Thursday and Friday, so we are just staying down here for the next couple days.  I'm in my room and hoping for a little rest since it seems like we are both exhausted lately - schedules have been tiring.  Our children going away to school have twisted those schedules around as well.

I started thinking about another family whose schedules were twisted around and decided to look it up for my Scripture reading today.  Here it is:

Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss Him at first, because they assumed He was among the other travelers. But when He didn't show up that evening, they started looking for Him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn't find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for Him there. Three days later they finally discovered Him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. His parents didn't know what to think. "Son," His mother said to Him, "why have You done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for You everywhere." "But why did you need to search?" He asked. "Didn't you know that I must be in My Father's house?" But they didn't understand what He meant. Then He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And His mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. (Luke 2:41-52 NLT)

It's been a joy to watch my children grow in "wisdom and stature" over the years.  Growing up is a part of our walk together with God.  He has that built into everything about us.  We grow physically.  We grow mentally.  We grow in maturity - growing up into Christ, who is the head of His Body, the Church.

Thank you, God, for giving Traci and I the blessing of our our children.   

Thank you for letting us enjoy watching them grow.  

Keep them in your care, especially when when we are not around.

Help them to continue to grow up in You.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen