Today Years Old

Have you ever had that moment when a realization hits you hard and you’re suddenly aware you’ve been doing something all wrong for too long? There were a few last year when those quirky “I was today years old when I learned…” memes went viral, and I learned I’d been closing cereal boxes and cracking eggs wrong my entire life. This week I had one that carried so much more weight. One of our kids in high school has a workload typical for a Silicon Valley teenager – insane. He’s working close to 50 hours a week on school just to get his assignments done. I was in my car, letting my mind wander, when I was reminded of the evening before. Because of my son’s schoolwork, we had skipped our family time reading the Bible and praying so he could finish his homework. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. What was I teaching my child?

Many of you know my stories. There’s been a fair amount packed into the last 40+ years. It’s a broken life living in a broken world. I don’t know what it is in our human nature that when we look back the hard times stand out before the joyful ones. When I look back and I reflect on my rock bottoms, those life moments where you’re so hurt you can’t imagine ever feeling whole or happy again, or you’re so worried you don’t know how you’re going to make it through what you’re facing, those moments come to mind. 

Of the top 5 life stressors, death of a loved one, divorce, moving, major illness or injury, job loss, I score somewhere around 4.5. The darkest moments were those where I had zero control. There was nothing I could do to fix it. I was helpless in my own strength. The one thing, the only thing that got me through, was God. Clinging to him knowing I had no answers, but I had him. I went to him. I cried out to him. I begged him. Not because I needed to beg him for help, but because I was so scared and sad, I needed to pour out my human heart to the one who never left my side, listened intently to every word, who was catching my every tear. Those dark moments, knowing God, that’s what got me through. I knew I could trust that while there was nothing I could do, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

As a parent, you want to teach your children what matters. You want to protect them. You want them to know the truth – that the things of this world will not fulfill them. You want them to have hope. To know that no matter what pain or heartbreak they experience in this world, there is hope. That hope, that singular hope, is Jesus. I want my kids to know that hope. To know deep in the very core of who they are, when life feels hopeless, to lift their eyes to Jesus. To know that Jesus is for them, loves them beyond their understanding, that He. Will. See. Them. Through.. 

I want this for you. It’s the reason I write week after week. I want you to know the hope and love of Jesus. If even one of you draws nearer to Jesus, that will be worth every experience I’ve walked through. I mean that with all my heart. Jesus LOVES you. He wants to take your pain, worries, heartbreak and bring you healing, freedom, peace, joy. 

If you don’t know Jesus, will you do me a favor and click here? You can learn more about Jesus and if you don’t have a Bible, we would love to send one to you. If you do know Jesus, I pray you’ve been encouraged to carve out more time with him. To put him first. To draw nearer to Him and allow Him to bring even more of His beautiful light into your life.

I’m praying for you my friends. Praying you are filled with the awe and wonder and joy of Jesus.