Less than 25 days. That’s right. In less that 25 days, my 15 year old daughter gets on a plane and flies to Costa Rica where she will spend an entire year. For one year, I will not get to touch her, hold her, smell her, or tickle her.
This is going to be hard. These next 25 days are going to be difficult. (We are not exactly sure of the day that she flies out — her ticket will be purchased on Monday. We know this: her language & culture camp begins on July 13th. Most likely, she flies out that morning.)
Once she leaves, it will be easier. I know that she’s going to have an amazing time. I know that this will be an experience that she will look back on for the rest of her life. I have no doubt that her life will change as a result of what happens during this next year. Her goals, dreams, plans, will all be influenced from what she experiences over the course of the next year.
We will spend many hours on the phone. We will hopefully have the opportunity to Skype on a regular basis. We’ll video conference together. She is the most amazing young woman in the world, and I am so incredibly proud of her and confident in her ability to make the most of this experience.
But she is still my baby girl. And the next 25 days are going to be very, very hard.
It has been interesting to see people’s reaction when we tell them about Brit going away. The most common thing I’ve heard goes something like this: “Wow! You are amazing parents. I could never allow my kid to do something like that. There’s no way he/she would be allowed to go. How in the world can you handle it?”
I know they mean it as a compliment (I think!), but it always causes me to have a little doubt. Am I being a good parent by saying yes to this whole thing? Should I be stepping in and putting a stop to it? Are we trusting foolishly?
And yet, it keeps coming back to one thought for me. Brittany is a gift from God to Heather and I. When she was born, we dedicated her back to him. We acknowledged before friends and family that we would do our best to raise her, love her, empower her, but ultimately we would always remember that she is not ours, but his. And we would trust God with her future.
And so, we trust God with Brit. I look at this opportunity and find myself asking, “God, what are you preparing her for? In what way is this experience going to shape her for the rest of her life?” Of course, I don’t have the answer to that. I can only trust.
This blog is averaging around 70 views a day. I don’t know who is reading my thoughts, but can I ask a favour of you? Would you pray for us over the next few weeks. Some days I’m weak, and my trust isn’t what it should be. Some days I’m just scared at the thought of my girl going away to another country for an entire year. Would you pray that God would give us the strength to keep trusting?
I want this blog to be real. I want you who read it to get a glimpse of what the life of a pastor really is like. And so, at times I share my geekiness. At times I express my opinions on some event that is being played out in our media. At times I get all spiritual.
Pastors are not super spiritual people. At least I’m not. I’m just a guy who tries to love Jesus everyday. Who has to work out what it means to trust God with his life and with those who matter to him.
How are you doing in that area? How is your “trusting God” doing? If you’d like, feel free to post in the comments section something that you are struggling to trust God with. I’d be happy to pray for you just as you are praying for me.
