New Perspective

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not swerve from it.  Proverbs 22:6

Things aren’t always what they seem.  More often than I’d like to admit, I get things all settled in my mind only to realize I’ve seen it completely from the wrong perspective.  The world can be pretty clear about what, who and how we should be and it’s pretty easy to slide right into that groove.  God really wanted my attention and he got it, as I took a lesson from a mom about my age with a tall son named Kevin.  Coincidence; not at all, God doesn’t do coincidence…he does; I love you so shut up and pay attention!

At first glance, her Kevin looked like a regular, tall handsome looking young man in his mid 20’s, just like my Kevin.  But after just a few seconds, I realized he wasn’t the same at all. Her Kevin had the cognitive abilities of a seven year old  and they were at the airport just watching planes take off because it was his favorite thing to do and it was their weekly Saturday morning date.  I remember feeling sad and wondered if they ever felt cheated out of the things most of us take for granted.  After hearing her story, I realized I was looking at things through a cloudy lens.

The mom talked about how her son was the greatest teacher of faith and all things good she could have ever imagined.  When he was born, she worried about all the things he’d miss.  As he got older she realized how lucky he was, and how lucky she was to be his mom.  She shared that he was always up at dawn to go to a job at a workplace for people with disabilities and he approached each work day with such contentment and peace.  He always finishes what he starts, delights in helping with any task, not because it’s important or hard or prestigious but because it’s helping someone and he feels accomplishment simply because it’s completed.  

Her son has an innate sense of truth and trust.  He doesn’t lie; it isn’t in his nature or ability.  He trusts and prays with unshakable faith.  He finds delight in tasks like doing the laundry and vacuuming  the house.  He realizes it’s helpful and productive and that brings him joy.  He has no concern for fashion or material goods.  He enjoys the simplicity of watching birds, planes and anything in nature.  When he sees something beautiful or exciting in nature he always says, “Thank you God, I really liked seeing that!”  He is capable of only goodness and sees each new day, even though it will be a repeat of the one before it, as a new and exciting gift from God.

Every parent worries about their child.  We want them to be happy, to find a good job, to have enough money to enjoy life, to have a good education or training.  We want them to be good and kind and mostly, we want them to get to heaven.  Kevin’s mom said she sees all those things in her son every single day.  She admitted that he takes a different kind of time and love than his siblings but he’s the child she worries about least because he, by nature, is saintly and lives without the temptations and sin that can put a wedge between us and the Father’s plan. That is the ultimate peace for a mothers soul she shared. 

That encounter left me with a changed mama heart.  I realize how many things I pray for in regard to my children.  I pray for passed tests and high cattle prices and job promotions.  I pray for their friendships, future spouses and their happiness.  If I’m being truthful, I pray so hard and so often for things to be easy and  peaceful for them.  I will probably still pray for all those things but I realize I haven’t seen the whole picture and I thank Kevin’s mom for teaching me that those aren’t the greatest hopes to have for our children.  I will pray a lot more for my children’s contentment, for their joy, for their peacefulness and for their ability to resist the noise of the world and more clearly hear the voice of the Father guiding them on the path he has planned for them.

A Seed To Plant:  Spend some time thinking about the ways you pray for your children, godchildren, grandchildren of nieces and nephews.  Decide if perhaps your prayers for them need a new perspective. ​

Blessings on your day!