Cause for Celebration!

Today’s Post Written By: Rae Lynn DeAngelisToday our youngest (Ben) turns twenty-two years old. Wow… where did the time go?Ben would have graduated from college this month but instead chose to study abroad in Tokyo, Japan, delaying his graduation until next semester. It was a small price to pay for the life experience he was able to gain.When our son got on the plane for Tokyo, he left a slightly cocky college student, but after living three months in a foreign country, he returned home a mature and confident young man. My husband and I are proud of his accomplishments, especially after hearing some of the challenges he faced while he was there.Letting go as a parent, allowing our children to spread wings and fly on their own, is an extremely difficult process. It feels so unnatural.Hard as it may be to let go, it’s a whole lot easier once we know they are truly ready to spread wings and fly on their own. Ben proved to us over the past year that, not only is he ready to leave the nest, but he is ready to soar.I don’t know what season of life you are in right now, but I can tell you from personal experience; if you’re a mom raising kids, cherish each moment and recognize the time you have with your children as a gift from God. Take it from someone who knows: this season will be gone before you know it.Treasure these years, but don’t allow your identity to become too wrapped up in your kids, because eventually this season ends. And when it does end, remember. God still has a plan and purpose for your life. I’m living proof.Sometimes we become so wrapped up in our kids’ lives that someone from the outside might wonder… whose life is it really?It’s okay to celebrate our children’s accomplishments, but there’s a fine line between celebrating our children’s accomplishments and vicariously living through them. Been there, done that!Let’s face it. At some point our kids are going to do things we don’t agree with, and when they do go in a different direction than we hoped or envisioned, what then?And here is where it gets really hard. We need to let our kids fail. One of the gravest mistakes we as parents can make is to try and keep our kids from failing or suffering consequences that come when they do fail.Nobody wants their kids to have to suffer, but as Dr. Henry Cloud says, To rescue people from the natural consequences of their behavior is to render them powerless.”Do we really want to render our kids powerless?Our heavenly Father is the perfect parent. Yes