Entrusting & Releasing

How many of you are in a season where it is time to let go of something?

This season for me personally, is a big transition season in the area of parenting.

Last year, my eldest daughter started attending a local university while staying at home. My middle daughter just graduated high school and will be attending a university 2-hours away – pray for me! And finally, my youngest son, Robert, finished middle school and will be a big high-schooler in the fall.

Lots of transition – lots of letting go.

It has me thinking about the job of parenting – natural and spiritual kids. And it especially has me meditating on God as Father.

He could have identified Himself with all sorts primary roles – healer, redeemer, sanctifier – you name it. He has lots of roles and lots of names. But first and foremost, God is relational.

The love relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit could not be contained. Before the foundation of the world, it spilled out into all creation, and most markedly towards Their kids, as they created the seen realm. That love is so uncontainable the universe has been expanding ever since!

Father God created His kids because He wanted to share all that love!

However, Papa created us with a free will that could freely choose not to love Him back.

Love influences, but He does not control others. His fruit is self-control.

In that, He released His kids to make all sorts of choices – some of them devastating. He has made Himself vulnerable to us – amazing!

Look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 from The Passion Translation:

4 Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. 7 Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

Love is others – centered. Love is all about freedom.

With our natural and spiritual kids, we love them, raise them, discipline them, teach them, equip them, support them all with the end-point of releasing them to live their own lives and make their own choices. Some of those choices will be painful.

But with that risk, we can entrust them to a loving powerful Father, Who loves them and knows them more than we do. We can rest and receive His protection and provision – his plan for them.

And that is truly amazing!

For more on God’s faithful, unending love, check out my book, Marked by Love.