Promises and Plans

This pretty rainbow filled our sky a week ago, a reminder of one of God’s many promises.  With all the rain we’ve gotten, and all we are supposed to get, I’m glad for reminders such as this!  Lol!

God never changes, and His promises are as good today as they were when He gave them.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to  harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

My oldest son is finishing up his last year of elementary school.  (How can that be??)  I mentioned that we had middle school orientation, didn’t I? 

While touring the school building in a large group, I sidled up to him and his friends to ask a question.  He stared straight ahead and said, “This is me not seeing you…I don’t see you standing there.”

He’s lucky he saw me giving him a ride home. 

This morning, he had his first real orthodontist appointment in the series that will end with the application of his Herbst, and braces.  He is already feeling a little sore with the spacers in place. We decided to go with an orthodontics office that is closer to home  (than the one we had our first consult with).  I’ll write more about our experience as we go.

It would be easy for me to worry about what the next two months of orthodontic appliance adjustments will entail. 

Or to worry about how he will really fare in the middle school mayhem. But God knows the plans He has for him…

Jeremiah 29:11 is true for him.   

My nine-year-old turns TEN this coming Wednesday.  How can he be hitting the double digits already?  Although he isn’t flapping his wings of independence quite as eagerly, he is still growing up in so many ways. 

Yet, he often lets himself sway with the breezes of peer acceptance, and rejection.  It's easy to worry that he’ll forget that his significance has nothing to do with his friends--and everything to do with being an adopted son of a loving God. 

God will walk us through these shadowy places because Jeremiah 29:11 is true for him, too. 

Even my four year old is growing up fast.  My husband reminded him to be good this morning before he left for work, and the little guy looked him right in the eye and said, “You be good, too.”  Indeed.  Are you being good, Honey? (giggle)

He has one more year at home with me.  Just one?  But then he, too, will head off to school where teachers and friends will surround him.  It’s easy to worry about whether he’ll be ready for school.  (Especially since he is our baby.)  But Jeremiah 29:11 is true for him, too.

Although our roles as parents change with the seasons of our children’s lives, God’s love will remain constant and ever present--even when we are not (present).   He  will continue to work out His plan to prosper them, to give them hope and a future. 

So, they have much more than imperfect parents to see them through the challenges they’ll face.  They have an almighty, loving God.  With Promises and PLANS!  Great plans, Amen?

So instead of worrying about any of my children today, I’m giving them over to Him.  Again. 

And thanking Him for His promises and plans. 

And…

I’m going shopping!  I have a birthday boy to shop for!

Happy Friday, friends!