Being a parent

I've just finished reading the blog of a Christian mother and wife, and it's a case of 'me too.' She fears for her children, learning to live in the world as Christians and avoiding some of the cruel traps and mistakes. Like her, I find my self praying for my children, three of whom are actually adults, that they will be guided and protected and find the things they need in life. Liz and I prayed before any of our children were even conceived that if we had any children they would be saved. It is a great joy and relief to see them walking in Christ, but there are still anxieties. Our daughter quit school, spent time living in the state capital city looking for work, ringing home when some crisis arose that she wanted help with, and all we could do was be there and assist as much as possible. That and pray, of course. And the end of it, we were glad when one time she phoned us and wanted us to remind her of the words to the 23rd Psalm. It was what she turned to for comfort. That was uplifting to know. Still, it will be a relief when she settles on a direction and gets on with it. It was a very happy Christmas for us all when we got together. We did remember to pray for those not having such a pleasant time. Here's a thought for any one from the northern hemisphere who reads this: when I was younger the family lived in England for a few years. Chistmas was cold weather, sometimes snow. When we moved to Australia, I recall thinking that when Christmas is in summer then at least the homeless and the poor are not cold! I'm very grateful that it was such a happy time. If any one reading this had a sad Yuletide, please be assured that if my prayers make any difference, then you have them. And if anyone had children who cause the to lose sleep, I know the feeling.