THROUGH A MOTHER’S EYES Searching B Y D I A N E C H E V E L D AY O F F
A
s a mother of three adult daughters, I can say from experience that parenting is a journey with many different challenges. But as our children grow through their own journey, we as parents have the privilege of witnessing the stages of that growth, including feeling exuberant joy when they use their voices to speak out into a dark world. One of our daughters has recently moved to Hawaii, and her life is quite an adventure. As her mom, it can be unsettling to see the risk involved in some of her activities. Her extreme hikes seem tame compared with the times she free dives with sharks and whales or ventures to the edge of a cliff and then repels down hundreds of feet. These intense adventures are seemingly never-ending. And yet, seeing her resulting photography and hearing the excitement in her voice as she describes her experiences allows me to see life through a different lens. I recognize this is the time for her to enjoy and explore where she is, and it is also the time for me to trust God, knowing He will protect her and speak to her. That’s no easy feat, no matter what age your children are. As parents, we are to be diligent in our prayers for the protection of our children. A well-known scripture is Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (NIV) This is a promise that we can claim throughout our children’s lives. Despite my own misgivings regarding possible danger, it is evident that my daughter sees God through her adventures. For example, one of her passions is finding waterfalls. However, the waterfall she seeks is often not easy to get to or close to a road. Instead, the trek requires dedication, endurance through obstacles, and preparation for the search. But after all, nothing truly good comes easy, which applies to all aspects of life.
66
