A Hedge of Protection

OK, so I think I am a pretty liberal parent in certain areas:

• hair styles
• piercings (no lip, chin or any other crazy place)
• tattoos (gotta be 16 and I have to approve it)
  
• extreme sports participation such as motocross (although it's caused many of my gray hairs)
• drums and screaming guitars in our home......constantly.

.....you kinda get where I am going.

Now things I am not so liberal on are:

• car riding (I only allow them to be in cars with certain adults/parents and need a confirmation of destination arrival every time)
• sleep overs (each kid only has ONE friend that I trust them to stay over. These homes have had my interrogation of firearms, drugs/alcohol usage and I can guarantee that I have offended some parents.......the ones I have offended are now off my list if they cannot appreciate the reason behind my bold questions)
  
• curfews (10PM for my 17 year old)
• media influences-music/TV/etc with excessive sexual, violent and drug content (I know they are exposed to the crap when they are at school and in this world. I am not naive to think I can shelter them from it in this life.....but I don't have it in the house and I hope they are being raised up to know it's garbage)

....... so those are just a few.

So here is the deal......I *am* super protective of my children. Some think I am over the top in my rules.....others call me paranoid. Call me what you want, there are no second chances when it comes to my children if I screw up and make a bad judgment call. And I may be pretty forgiving to others......but am wicked when it comes to forgiving myself.

And I won't lie.....I am a worrier. So as many times that I read Luke 12:24-26 (Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?)
.....I still have a hard time letting it go and fully turning it over to God.

I am a worrier.......I am a mom.

God gave these children to me to take care of and raise them up the best way I can. He expects me to sow seeds in them. To live their lives glorifying Him and make the right choices. He expects me to protect them.....believe me, if you knew me....I am pretty laid back and carefree, but if you mess with or hurt my children.....I am like a mama lion.

Are you wondering why I am rambling about this? OK, so last night.....I got overly consumed with mama protection and concern. My little girl was having a sleep over at my parents.....so I had the icy roads and idiotic Friday night drivers in my head. H was sleeping at that "one" friends house that he is allowed to. Then, at G's basketball game.....one of the star players on his team got pretty hurt. Like back injury needing to stop the game, don't move him off the court and be taken away by ambulance kind of injury. While he was laying on the court with his parents and coaches around him.....I began to pray for him. I asked God to please place His healing hand's on him....and on his parents who stood there helpless. I couldn't help but think about the severity of a back or neck injury. Then I started to think about how that could have been G. It started to suffocate me to think of my son laying there unable to move. About how in one moment, your life can be flipped upside down. I needed to talk myself down and focus back on praying for this boy.

Well this morning.......I was blog hopping.....and came across a link from RocksinMyDryer. It was to this woman's blog. She has a heartbreaking prayer request, please head over there if you can. She sowed a valuable seed in me by this statement she made.

"I am learning that our Heavenly Father protects us from the dangers that are real. He worries over the destruction of our souls, the separation from Him, the eternal dangers that so many of us ignore like naive little children.

But He does not protect us from the living of the bad dreams and from feeling we are lost. He whispers to us through our pain that there is a life beyond the present suffering. He sits silently with us in our anguish--in the nightmares so real and heavy and terrifying, the ones that we cannot escape or blink away. He reminds us that the seemingly endless grief is but a moment that will fade in the vast expanse of the Life to come."

These words really burned into me......and helped remind me about how God is in utmost control. And while I can do my best being a parent and keeping my children in the safest of environments, He has His hand on their lives, He orchestrates it and knows the number of days they (we all) will be here on Earth. Believing and trusting in Him does not guarantee that we will not be faced with accidents, unpredictable life-changing events or a scary health report. He does not promise that we won't have days of grief and sadness.

But He does promise that He is with us all the time......every step of the way and He loves us........more than we can comprehend.

So I am sure I will always worry......and I will continue to pray for that hedge of protection to surround my children and family.....and loved ones/friends. But I am thankful to be reminded this morning about how they are in the best of Hands when I place my trust in The One who is ultimately charge.

xox
*~Michelle~*

Edited to add: We just found out that G's team-mate did have a pretty significant muscle injury, but is expected to fully recover. Praise God.