8 minute read
Through a Mother’s Eyes
by Diane Cheveldayoff
Voices
There are a lot of voices in my head at different times. So, I ask myself, What voices am I hearing? What voices do I listen to? What voices influence my life?
We are all subject to many voices speaking into our lives—some positive and others not. At times, it’s hard to distinguish between the good and the bad voices. We may ask, Am I hearing the voice of God? Yet, let’s take it a step further and ask, Am I listening for the voice of God?
Psalm 85:8 expresses, I will hear what God the Lord will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; And may they not turn back to foolishness (NASB). We may initially hear God but then dismiss His voice and allow the world to drown Him out and draw us in.
How do we really know the voice of the Holy Spirit? That is something difficult that we have tried to teach our girls, knowing that if we could teach them to seek God and listen for His voice, we could be assured they’d be okay—they’d learn to discern the lies and deception of the devil that threaten to draw them with a self-serving agenda and be able to hear what God really desires for them—His righteousness. We can know God’s voice by spending time with Him in prayer and through His Word. Simply put in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (ESV).
Influences around us always create evolving and changing circumstances. Our three adult daughters have struck out on their own adventures. As their parents, we enjoy seeing their invigorating experiences, yet at times, standing aside and watching can be nerve-racking. Between the three of them, at least one always has some big change around the corner. They seem to have a knack for the surprise element in their choices, which we have slowly learned to accept and even embrace. But there is one definite conclusion: we’ve raised three very independent and adventure-seeking girls.
Ultimately, we desire to live in close proximity to our kids yet, at the same time, want the best for them. Their present-day interests have required them to move far away from us, which has caused mixed emotions. Of course, the natural concerns are for their safety and the right move for them and their future. That is where we, as parents, want to support their decisions and cover them in prayer. Let’s just say, without a doubt, our prayer life is alive and vibrant.
Praise God, we have extremely good relationships with all three girls, and we all enjoy spending time together. However, my husband and I currently live in Florida, and none of our girls are close by or even live in the same state.
One daughter lives in Hawaii and has begun traveling alone, vancamping through New Zealand and Australia—she is expected to be gone for a total of six months. Did I say she is alone? Van-camping? And that she is God only knows where?
Another daughter who lived in Virginia accepted a career move to Anchorage, Alaska. With the help of my husband, they drove cross-continent for over 72 hours, carting all her belongings, including a car in tow.
So, you’ve deduced right…two of our three daughters are about as far away as they can be in the United States, on the extreme west coast, while we are on the southern east coast. Our middle daughter, who currently seems to be the most settled of the three, is living in Illinois with her husband, making career moves but at least staying relatively close. (I never before thought of Florida and Illinois as being close, but it all depends on what you compare it to. Lol.)
Our different locations require more video chats, as being physically together is a challenge. We have learned that we have to work a bit harder to be in communication with each other as life’s influences and physical distance threaten to drown out our relationships. And isn’t that the same with our relationship with God? We have to be intentional in our busy lives to listen for God’s voice as He speaks to us.
My husband and I are slowly getting more accustomed to our youngest’s tendency to travel alone on extreme adventures for months at a time. But our daughter who has ventured over forty-two thousand miles away to Alaska consumes my thoughts. I live in Florida for a reason— even the thought of Alaska makes a chill run down my body. But she loves the cold climate—saying, “I come alive in the cold.” She pursued this move, and God opened the door. So, we have to trust His voice.
Throughout the years, as we all are with our children, my husband and I have been part of our daughter’s sounding board, diving into the pros and cons, not only concerning this move to Alaska, but for career moves in general. As we’ve listened to her excitement, we’ve also had the confidence that she is aware of not letting her desires be the driving force. She recognizes the importance of seeking God’s will and praying throughout the entire process. Her prominent request is asking God to open the door wide or close it so tight there is no denial of His will for her at this stage. Concerning this particular move, our daughter began to see God orchestrate all the details as one after another fell into place. During this process, she consistently relied on hearing the Holy Spirit, which brings a smile to our faces.
We may not always agree with our children’s decisions, but we can pray for and learn to trust that God is leading them and that they are following His voice. As stated in Eph 5:17, Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do (NLT). Thankfully, our daughter acted out this verse, putting focused thought into her decision through diligent prayer.
Imagining my daughter now being such a long distance away makes my eyes water. However, I know there is no better place for her than in God’s will. As we allow our children to enjoy their life adventures, we learn through each one. Ultimately, we rest in the assurance that God hears our prayers for our children, and He will never stop directing their steps.
We as parents need to join our children in praying through the intricacies of life, and we must also listen to the Holy Spirit’s prompting of what we should and should not say as they make their own decisions. It’s easy to let selfish motives guide the conversation and discourage the change. But, when God gives our children that unexplainable peace and they are confident they are hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, we can trust He will continue to guide them and protect them in all their adventures.
I’m sure there will be many more adventures to come in the months and years ahead for our family. I Iook forward to hearing the excitement in my daughters’ voices as they each experience so many new things. It reminds me of times in their toddler years— like that first trip to Disney that was new and over-stimulating. We witnessed the perplexity in their eyes as they saw something new for the first time and experienced joy ourselves as we saw the world through their eyes. Now, there are places we’ve never been and yet will again have the privilege of seeing for the first time through their eyes.
May we all hear, may we listen, and may we allow the one true voice of truth, our heavenly Father, to influence our lives. Stay in His Word. Stay in prayer. Take each step with Him according to His will and desires for your life and future. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (NLT). God wants to guide our steps and give us a future with our own life adventures. Let His voice be your guide.
Diane has 46+ years in the hospitality industry — planning, contracting, and executing meetings and events worldwide. She and her husband Les, married over 33 years, have three beautiful adult girls. She supports his pastoral role and as AACC certified coaches they enjoy helping others have healthy relationships. Contact Diane at Diane@ExecutiveDiamond.com (www.ExecutiveDiamond.com).
