Holding My Heart

My mom recently loaned me a box that holds precious family photos and keepsake items. My plan is to scan what I can into my computer.

 

Among those items, I found this poem.

 

School-Bound

By Alma Roberts Giordan

 

The little red kerchief

Goes bobbing along;

Oh, keep her safe, Lord,

Safe, Lord, and strong.

 

See how she loiters

And dances and dreams.

Lord, keep her spirit

From bursting its seams.

 

The little plaid book bag

Swings perilous wide;

Lord, send a guardian

To stay by her side.

 

Now out of my vision,

A world apart:

The kerchief, the satchel

Holding my heart.

 

This poem gives words to what is in a mom's heart for her child. Her prayer recognizes that even though her child is out of her own vision, the Lord still has His eyes on her little girl.

 

She also recalls to her mind what Jesus told His disciples concerning children, “I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10 ESV)

 

Yet, we moms can become so overly anxious for our children at times that we won't let them out of our vision. We don't want anything "bad" to touch them—no discomfort, no pain. We try to control their lives. But by doing so, we choose to lean on our own understanding and our own power, weak as we are. Instead of allowing the Lord to work His will, our will for them becomes most important.

 

Paul reminds us that the Lord takes us from glory to glory, from faith to faith. (Romans 1:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18) He wrote that the hard things of life are what grow us to be more like Jesus. (Romans 8:18-30; 2 Corinthians 4:17) I heard a father recently say, as part of the growth process, sometimes kids have to skin their knees.

 

Our children will "skin their knees." It is not in our power to guard their every step. And sometimes we have to stand back and watch them struggle. After all, isn't that how they learned to walk? The one thing—sometimes only thing—that we can do to work powerfully for them is pray.

 

 

"It's hard to watch your child struggle through life. Keep praying."

Dr. James Dobson