One phrase that MaryBeth has heard from me a thousand times is "I would rather tell you 'Yes.' If I say 'No,' then I have a very good reason. Trust me." She doesn't always like hearing that, but I think she's finally coming to understand it. I would rather bless her with what she wants, but sometimes I know that I must say No if I really have her best interest at heart.
Last week, MaryBeth's friend, Abby, had invited her to go with her to her Dad's house in Longview, TX. I wasn't crazy about letting her go 3 hours away to a place I had never been, but I had no legitimate reason for telling her that she could not go. I love Abby and her family, so after a long struggle, I finally gave MaryBeth my blessings. Abby's dad called me to touch base before the girls headed his way, and he told me about all they had planned. They were going to play at the lake Friday night, and then they were going out to the ranch Saturday to ride four wheelers. Although I put up an excited front, sheer panic set in. Even after he assured me of all the safety precautions he would be taking for the girls like helmets, supervision, etc..., I was really struggling after our phone call. What was I supposed to do? Should I tell MaryBeth she could no longer go? Maybe I should tell her that she would need to sit out and just watch everyone else ride the 4-wheelers? I knew that neither of those two options would go over well!! My fears were totally dictating every thought that entered my mind...I was a mental mess!! I also reasoned with myself that 4 wheelers are not BAD, and I cannot keep her under my thumb forever (although I'd like to!!). My reasoning skills did not calm me down, so at the end of my rope, I decided to just pray...it was my only hope for peace!
Like many times before,I prayed that the Lord would close the door if letting her go was not the right thing to do. I have had to rely on that prayer many times before because, on my own, I am just not smart enough sometimes to know what's good for me or mine. I had to get to a place where I trusted that God loved MaryBeth more than I did, and He had heard my prayers for her protection. I released her into His hands, and agreed to let her go. Friday came and went wihtout any problems, and before I knew it, MaryBeth was in Longview. Obviously it was ok for them to go, and I had worried for nothing. I knew that riding the 4-wheelers was still an issue, so I continued to pray. I did, however, have a peace that she was in His hands no matter what.
The next morning the phone rang, and it was MaryBeth. I had been awake for a while, and I had already reminded God of His many promises to protect His children and to keep His promises to those who love Him. (as if He needed to be reminded...haha!) When she called, she sounded a little down because they had woken up to a soggy, rainy morning, and they were not going to be able to ride the 4 wheelers that day. Of course, I was a little relieved and felt that the Lord had used His wonderful resource of rain to hinder the girls' plans. I admit, I smiled all over as I talked to MaryBeth on the phone..."sorry that your plans didn't work out, baby. Maybe you can go again some other time...." That's when she said,"Abby's dad said he'll take us tomorrow if you'll let me stay one day longer." Aaaahhhhhh...I had no good reason to say that she could not stay. They were out of school on Monday, so staying through Sunday was perfectly fine, except that now I had to pray AGAIN!! Again I prayed for her protection, and again I had to struggle to let her go into His hands.
Sunday after church I finally heard from MaryBeth. I was expecting good reports of fun stories from their day on the 4 wheelers...that was not exactly what I got. On the other end of the phone was, yet again, a disappointed little voice. As they had prepared that morning to head out to the ranch, Abby's dad's car would not start, and they were unable to go.No matter how hard they tried, there wasn't going to be any four wheeler riding on this trip....At this point, I was having to control myself to keep from laughing out loud! I had to confess to MaryBeth the prayers I had been praying and the promises I had been claiming. Although she wasn't happy with the way her weekend had turned out, she knew that it had happened exactly the way it was supposed to happen.
As I was able to look back on the whole situation, I realized several things. I realized that my prayers are important. The Lord hears me when I cry out for His help. I also realized that I have prayed prayers for protection for my kids thousands of times before, and He's protected them in ways I would never know. How many accidents had been prevented by prayer? How many boo-boos have been avoided all because of prayer? In Stormie O'Martian's The Power of A Praying Parent, she said that until they are old enough to do battle for themselves, it is our responsibilty as parents to do battle for them. We are called to duty for our children in all areas of life...we must feed them, clothe them, teach them, lead them...we are on duty 24-7...no days off, no excuses. Probably our most important duty, however, is to spiritually raise them up into Godly, reponsible adults. In the meantime, we must fight their spiritual battles for them...and the thought of neglecting that duty is beyond scary! I am so thankful that my Lord and Saviour loves us so much. Not only does He save us, but He longs to bless us with the abundant life. It amazes me that the God of the universe hears our prayers, and, as our Father, He would much rather tell us "Yes." If He says "No," then He has a very good reason, and He always has our best interest at heart. The best part of that truth is that His heart is perfect, so we can find perfect peace in Him.
There is no greater life than the life lived for the Lord. It is the most rewarding, peaceful, deep-down gratifying life available! Glory to you, Lord, glory to you!
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