Yesterday, Mrs. Ferrier, PCA’s Assistant Administrator, celebrated Mother’s Day by moving her oldest
son out of her house and into a home of his own. Your initial reaction might be; “What an awful
way to spend Mother’s Day!” However, I believe this event symbolizes one of the
most profound purposes of motherhood or for that matter parenthood. From the
day that we first hold that precious baby in our arms, we are preparing him to
leave.
If I could give one piece of advice to any young parent, it
would be to begin with the end in mind. Before we had our children, my wife and
I committed to that very purpose. Our goal for our children has been to instill
in them that God is using us to equip them for the blessings and challenges
that God is preparing for them in adulthood. Our task is to train them to be
independent of us; yet utterly dependent on their Creator.
I am thankful that my son recognizes this truth. In a recent birthday wish to his mom, he wrote
the following words as he reflected on leaving home:
As you quickly approach the reality
of the “empty nest,” do not think that your role in my and Corey’s life will in
anyway be diminished. It is true that
the role will change form, but its importance will only grow. As you grow older, your wisdom only
increases, and with that, so does my need to partake of that knowledge. Perhaps that is my selfish desire to avoid
the mistakes that you made or avoid the mistakes you avoided, but regardless,
it is a need that will never end. As I
begin to create an independent life, I ask that you intensify your prayers for
me. They are always much needed and
always the most important thing that you can give to me.
Begin with the end in mind!
The following video shares this process from a dad’s perspective:
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