A Mom's Lesson

My little boy would snuggle up in my lap for comfort while I breathed in his sweet little boy smell. Moments like these, though frequent, were fleeting. All too soon, he would slide down off my knee and explore the world around us...but he would always come back to the familiar, loving, and comforting embrace that was Mommy.

From the time he could crawl, my son would come to me, snuggle, then leave to explore. I knew that he needed to explore and learn about the world around him, but I must say that I enjoyed those snuggles. Sometimes, I was loath for them to end. As time went on, he would wander farther and farther - gaining independence and confidence in himself. 

Now, he is 10 years old and explores all over the neighborhood we have recently moved into. It is a safe place for him to explore, but I truly do miss him when he is gone, even if it is only for a few minutes. You see, my son and I have a very strong bond--the kind that comes from truly needing each other and helping each other get through the tough times, and from sharing every joyous occasion. We are a team.

Even now, at the independent age of 10, my son still comes and checks in with me, and with a maturity that is far beyond his years in some ways, he will ask me if I need anything while he is inside. Even though most 10-year-olds are in a too-cool-for-that stage, he comes to me and hugs me, still comforted by our closeness. He seeks my love and desires to love me in return in his own little-boy way. And when he gets hurt, the only place that he wants to be is with me.

As his mother, I am called to be his worldly safe harbor--to teach him how to "go out into all the world," then come back to the shelter for renewal and comfort. It is my role to teach him where to find comfort, rest, and healing, but also that he is not meant to always stay there. He must venture forth and give of himself to the world in the secure knowledge that his safe place will always be here, ready for him when he needs it.

And with a heavy heart, I know that he is not mine forever, but only entrusted to me for a time. The day will come when the Lord will be his own personal safe harbor as he goes "out into all the world" to share God's love. He will run to our Heavenly Father for comfort, renewal, rest, and healing just as all the rest of us must do. As he spends more and more time finding God's path for his life, he will spend less and less time in my arms. All I can hope for is my sincere prayer that I have sufficiently taught him how to run to the arms of love when he needs it.

Blessings,
P