If they know who loves them . . .

A friend recently posted her thoughts on the troubles in our world. They aren't even out there somewhere in the world anymore, but in our own neighborhoods these days. It reminded me of a few things I've been thinking about lately, like: how do I raise confident, spiritually centered, contributing, successful citizens in a world that continues to focus on "me" and "satisfying me". There seems to be an endless list of reasons to keep my kids locked away for life in the safety of our home. But, then I think of the beauty, the unique, and the incredible that is out there in the world and the ever expanding opportunities for good and learning and there is no way that I could ever deny them of that. I have a friend who is home-schooling her children, which I don't have any opinion about one way or the other, you do what is best for your children and your situation. But, I think she has choosen this out of fear regarding what 'could happen'. Are we denying our children opportunities because we are afraid? Is it right to do that out of a desire to protect? Are we letting the bad win because we are afraid to stand up to it? I don't know. That is a really hard question for me to answer, because as a mother I find I'm crazy about my kids. I'm fast realizing though, that one of the tricks of parenting, that my wise mother once warned me about, is that it is a process of letting go, not holding on. As a mother I need to teach my children not only what is right, but how to know what is right, because I may not always have the answer. They need to have that power within them. They need to have the desire to discover, to learn, to put that knowledge to work and use it for good, to seek to do the right and have the courage to change direction when they are wrong. They need to not just know about Jesus, but to know him, to have a trust, a faith in Him that is unyeilding - that it is never too late and that they'll make mistakes, but that they can make them right. They need to do things because they are right, not because they are afraid. So, how do I do that? That is exactly what I keep wondering . . . and honestly, I'm not sure. But, I do know what my parents did, and that if I do those things that keep me centered on what is most important, if I try my best to really listen to my kids and "be there" for them - not just at games and important events, but in the day to day humdrum, that maybe, just maybe somewhere, somehow, they'll get it. The older they get the harder it is to cut through all the 'have to dos', the 'they need this to succeed', the 'extra-activities that will give them an edge' and get to the most important things, like time just to play, time just to talk and time just to love. I think that somewhere in there is the trick, the key to giving them all that they need to succeed - to know who they are and where they are going because they know who loves them.