God Doesn't Have Grandchildren

"It takes a woman twenty years to make a man of her son, and another woman twenty minutes to make a fool of him." - Helen Rowland, journalist

This is so funny - and sometimes very true.  So much effort gets put into raising children and then we get to sit back and watch them make choices that aren't always for the best.  Such challenges can be daunting!

I have a new respect for my parents now that my children are in their late twenties.  I never thought of myself as being a problem child.  I would strive to be a straight-A student in school.  I never went out with friends so I never even had to have a curfew.  I lived a very sheltered life and my parents were very strict.  So, as soon as I was nineteen years old I decided I was ready to make my own decisions.  I married the first boy who came along and asked me out to dinner, I had two babies within the first three years of our marriage and I convinced myself that I was making good decisions.  I kept waiting for the fairy tale to begin but it never did.

God bless my parents for doing their best to bail me out of a terrible situation.  They helped me with my bills when I became a single parent, they cared for my children on a daily basis so I could work two jobs to support my family, and they loved me through it all.  I never really appreciated all that they did for me because I was too busy finding  fault with them so I wouldn't have to look at my own foolish behavior.  As the years went by, I tried to make amends to my parents.  They accepted me graciously when I did so.  They always loved me to the best of their ability and I was able to admit to them that I was wrong in so many areas of my life. 

Now I have grown children of my own and I'm blessed with the opportunity to do the same thing for them.  I may not always like their decisions, but I love them, I encourage them as best I can, and I pray a lot!  I believe that there is a Higher Power watching out for all of us, my children included.  "God doesn't have grandchildren" is a beautiful saying that someone passed on to me a long time ago.  I try never to forget that, no matter what is going on.  My God is always in charge.  Amen!