by The Rev'd David Marten, Youth & Young Adult Minister
During this graduation season, we are all entering into a season of change. Over the past few years, you parents have been working up to this point. You’ve slowly been teaching your child proper boundaries with technology, how to drive themselves, and how to be in charge of their own schedules. Maybe even how to do their own laundry! Now the last vestige of control is coming to an end. No longer will you be able to say, “So long as you live under my roof…” The way you and your child interact is going to be much different.
Because of this new change, you’ll have to define new rules for interacting. Some examples might include:
an expiration date for living at the house
agreement that you won’t give unsolicited advice
unconditional love does not mean unconditional financial support
a monthly phone call from your child to prove they're still alive
health insurance and phone bills
This is a lot to take in. Even as prepared as you are, it still seems like everything is changing.
Okay, that feeling of anxiety, that’s normal.
There’s one more thing that changes, how you pray for your child. And oftentimes, prayer becomes more frequent once your child leaves home. It seems that while your child is in high school, prayer is a secondary thought. After all, there’s a solution to every problem and you’ve probably got an idea where to begin. Now, however, your child might not even ask you for advice. You might only get to watch from the sidelines. Hopefully you fully realize what you already knew; that constant, iterative prayer is the best thing you can do for your child.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4: 4–6