Mom Worries

I talked with several mom friends this week, and the topic seemed to be "worries about our kids." What struck me is how our worries differed.

• One mom was worried that her son is taking life too seriously. He was offered a full-time job this summer--a VERY full-time job which, while a wonderful opportunity, would prevent him from taking college classes and spending much time with family and friends before he goes to college . . .
• One mom was very worried about her son who is NOT taking life seriously, failing several classes, and might not graduate.
• Another mom worried that her son is dating too many different girls . . .
• And a different mom worried that her son isn't interested in dating.
• Another mom worries about her daughter, who is hesitant to drive after a recent accident . . .
• And another mom is worried about her daughter who doesn't take driving seriously enough.
• Yet another mother is very concerned about something she found in her son's room.

It struck me that we moms can always find something to worry about, no matter what age our kids are! I guess the "worry muscle" is just built into moms. Seems just a few days we were worried about how much (or little) our kids ate (or slept). Today the issues are much more serious.

The above worries, of course, are very valid worries. But I know I have worried way too much in the past, and that took some of the joy out of what I was doing. I have been blessed with friends who allow their kids to do things that I might have been apprehensive about. One of my friends let her daughter, who was about 12 at the time, go all the way to Australia for TWO WEEKS--WITHOUT HER MOM!

Her attitude toward letting her daughter take advantage of that opportunity helped me to look at things differently. Yes, I still worry when my kids drive somewhere (thank goodness for cell phones so they can check in when they get there!) or go with a bunch of other kids . . . but I realize that it's part of growing up and I cannot deprive my kids of opportunities because of my worry.

Our pastor says something when a child is baptized that hits home with me as my kids get older. He says, "We love our childre, Lord, but we know that You love them even more." I cannot imagine anyone loving my children more than I do, but I believe that God has that capacity for love, and with that, it's much easier to put them in His hands.