Do You Have It? Bars of Soap Can Be Slippery, You Know

No alone time. That is good. There will come a day, though, when despite my efforts to get my sons to embrace a courtship mentality he will likely be driving his own car and want to pick this sweet young girl up and take her somewhere all by himself without anyone else. Is the ground work laid enough? Have I done my job? Will he remember our words? Will he remember God’s Word?

I have come to the conclusion that since holding this bar of soap is so difficult that I must get myself one of those ropes. Ever seen them? Soap on a rope, they are called. The rope is my lifeline to God. I have to give it over to Him. At some point my son’s relationship with Jesus is his and no longer my responsibility. I try to find the balance of rules and regulations with freedom to make choices and mistakes of their own. It is not an easy thing to do. In the end I do the best I can and lay it all at the feet of Jesus, for He has begun a good work in my sons and He will be faithful to complete it. I cannot be with them every minute to remind them of truth and pitfalls and help them make right choices. My job as a parent is to work myself out of a job. Just when does that happen exactly? LOL! When is it that I let go of the bar and grab on only to the rope, my lifeline, as tight as I can, praying all the while? When is it that I am supposed to still be holding onto the bar with a grip that is neither too firm and neither too tight? I weary of trying to find the balance.

But then again I must not weary in well doing for I shall reap a harvest in due season if I faint not. So, though I would like very much to gravitate to one extreme or the other, I will continue to try to hold onto this bar of soap. I would love to lay down the law and cut out all temptation and all activity that could possibly cause my son to stumble and fall. My fear is that then I would lose his heart. Then he would not get to stretch his wings and practice flying before he actually has to.