Always a Parent

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.” So, we say with confidence “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”

Hebrews 3:5-6

I was speaking to a client recently who had lost her adult son to death through alcoholism. Her grief is palpable, and she is recovering as best a parent can who has lost a child. Actually, there is perhaps some level of acceptance of the reality of the loss, but the pain is always there lurking to some degree. Yes, it recedes over time, but it never completely goes away.   

As parents, this is a forever covenant. Certainly, we launch our children into adulthood, and typically, if they are blessed, have children of their own. But we are always a parent. We always root for our kids’ success. We hurt if they hurt. We rejoice when they rejoice. We are always their parents.

As I have said in the past, I did not completely understand (and I certainly still don’t) the love of God until I had my own children. God said “Never will I leave you;never will I forsake you.” He said that as our Creator and loving Father.

So, we parents get the joy, and occasionally the burden, of parenthood. But no matter what, we are always parents.

What a privilege!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of parenthood, Amen