You Were Made

You were made, my love, for great things.
These talents you already possess, these quirks of personhood already emerging –
You have great potential to shine in this world,
To serve in God’s kingdom,
To live with bold faith,
And bring glory to the God whose image you bear.

I try (and mess up) daily.
I am imperfectly working to plant seeds
Of faith, of values, of habits.
I am trying to train your ways
Not brutally bend you to my ideas,
But to lead you to what is true and right,
To help you think logically,
To develop discernment.
Wisdom lies in this balance.

But, my love, I cannot do all the work.
I cannot choose for you.
You are the one who must choose
To listen,
To trust and obey,
To persevere even knowing you will fall,
To stand for Christ even if it means standing alone.

The wise man yearns for his son to have such wisdom,
To know not just the words and laws of God
But for his son’s heart to want to do right,
So that long after the father is gone,
The son will continue to live in faith.

So, my love,
I pray you choose life and love, hope and truth.
Choose to walk in the light.
And when I am gone, and you can no longer hear even the echo of my voice –
Choose to trust in the one who never dies,
Who never fades,
Who carries you beyond death.

I love you now and always,
Your mom

My son (and daughter), be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.

For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:20, 22-23

A wise son makes a glad father (or mother)

Proverbs 15:20A

Photo by Marco Ceschi on Unsplash