****The Cutting of the Apron Strings****
I deeply love my children they have been the absolute joy of my life, but as any parent knows there comes a day when they grow and the prominent place you’ve always held in Motherhood has to come to an end and the “apron strings” need to be cut. I remember so vividly the day that the “apron strings” were cut and the Lord set my children free, it was powerful.
I was standing in the Winnipeg airport and my children were heading back to Bible college for their third year – technically they weren’t children anymore, they were young adults, but for me the separation was still hard.
The first and second years had been hard enough and my husband and I went through the predicted “empty nest syndrome” seeing that it hadbeen just us four for 19 years – it was really, really hard. I never ever joked about empty nest again, and I was so thankful that Dr.Dobson was there with great advise to see us through that dark and horrible first year and the tolerable second year.
I had had one main goal when I was raising my children and that was to have no “child – issues” left lingering from their years at home when they were grown. I wanted when they left home that our relationship with our children we would be healthy and for lack of a better word we would be “friends”. I felt it was our responsibility as parents to see that they would be completely, emotionally healthy and free to begin their next stage in life.
Personally, I worked hard at that and through prayer and a lot of communication and a rock of a Dad who ran interference when things went south, I think we made it. As Mom and Dad we tried to give our grown children all the tools they would need when they hit the stage of life so that leaving home, even though somewhat stressful, would still be a lot of fun and an enjoyable experience… at least for them.
So, here were were again standing in the airport and the goodbyes were over, the hugs had been given, last minute mothering and fatherly advice offered, and I was watching my children walk away. The grief started to rise and I could feel the tears at the back of my eyes, this year was even harder than the others because we knew more of “what” they would face in college, then all of a sudden I saw something, something so powerful that I was instantly, completely delivered from the grief and the fear and I was finally able to let them go with joy and amazement.
At that very moment when the sorrow began I was instantly given a vision, a vision of divine proportions that even now I can see it again in my spirit as I write.
The vision was so comforting and it was eternal and now, no matter what would happen to them I knew they would be “OK”, for standing and walking between my 6′ ft 3” son and my beautiful daughter was the Lord himself, his height was over twice the size of my full grown children and next to him they looked like small children as if they were 5 and 6 again.
It was at that moment the shift became real – I had finally placed my children into the Lord’s capable hands for good. He was now to be their soul provider, their helper, their protector and my role in that capacity was complete.
I would always be their Mom, helping, encouraging, listening, laughing, rejoicing with every victory and grieving with them through each pain and sorrow, but there was now a difference, the “apron strings” were cut, and they were free.
I marvel how at each stage in life, if we allow him, the Lord can bless us with great strength for every season.
I will always be eternally grateful for him showing up at a Winnipeg airport.
Watch a beautiful sermon on Mothers day that includes this story.
