The Mountain Dream- Our Kids Journey

After a night of frustration of realizing I cannot always “fix” my kids struggles with crowds and fitting into the “social norm” of our culture, the Lord reminded me of a dream I had a few years ago that so applies.

THE MOUNTAIN DREAM.

I was climbing this large rocky mountain trying to get myself and my girls to Jesus. As he walked several feet ahead. I was walking up this really rocky incline trying to reach him and also struggling as I was carrying both my girls who were maybe a toddler and preschool age at the time.

In my struggle, I was becoming very tired and slowing us all down because I couldn’t hold them both and climb very well.

When I turned towards him asking for help I got the most shocking response. He corrected me saying, “Don’t forbid the children from coming to me. Don’t you know you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless you are like a little child.”

I suddenly realized my own desire to keep them safe from the climb was slowing us all down from the journey they had with Him. I gently put them both down on the ground and I saw the biggest grin from my youngest as she got her hands in the mud and began toddling quickly up to Jesus with muddy hands raised proudly grinning and saying, “Up!” And my oldest running up with great ease jumped from rock to rock to his arms. He picked them up himself as I caught up to them and continued our journey.

You see not only does he care for our children he cares for us adults in that statement. Our journey gets so much easier when we look at him through the eyes of a child… Dependent on His arms to carry us through and lead us on the right path.

I cannot always “fix” my children’s messes or areas of struggles but I can encourage them and love them for who they are and let them discover for themselves who they are and who He is and give them the freedom to walk this out with him.

The more we take pressure off ourselves to fix our families struggles and journeys and turn our eyes in pursuit of Jesus, the more room it provides for them to see the one we are looking at and pursue him for themselves.

Another thing to consider, their journey may look very different from ours. Their way of connecting with people and growing may also look different. The more we are willing to walk with them providing safe paths, yet also giving them the freedom to explore how they get their, the more we will begin to see them differently and through the eyes of the Lord. We will also suddenly discover how much earlier it is for our own journey when we let them walk for themselves and quit trying to control their every movement. Ya might see some big smiles and dirty hands too.