Do you ever wonder if God hears you? Knows your heart? Cares about what you care about? Every time my selective amnesia rears its ugly head and I begin to wonder if He’s listening, something happens that is so undeniably God that I am gently humbled by His consistent reminder that yes, He sees me.
Something incredible happened on the trail the other day that not only proved He was listening to me, but also to a mom thousands of miles away. (*This story is shared with her permission.) I was leading a trail ride of a family that was on vacation from Texas. The youngest, a 10-year-old boy, rode directly behind me. He was on vacation with his dad, grandparents and stepmom. We exchanged animal facts then he started to share about his mom in Texas; she prayed for a house to live in near horses because she loves horses and so they found a house to rent on a horse farm where he takes lessons. Then he told me she was an artist and had a company called “Flowers with Legs” (flowerswithlegs.com), and something about that felt so familiar, so I looked her up and showed him; he was delighted. “That’s my mom!”
Somehow I had seen a picture a few years ago of a yellow flower with legs and it spoke to me, so we talked more about her as we both sat in amazement of how small a world it is. This young man shared such a love for his mother. He was so proud of her, exclaiming that she was a great artist and looks so much younger than she is (something every woman loves to hear). What struck me beyond this adoration for his mom was his respect for his stepmom. He spoke about her with affection that in no way negated his love for his mom. Instead it was a testimony of how rich in love he was.
If you’ve ever co-parented children then you know that vacation season is really tough. Being away from your babies for extended periods of time can be very emotional. I have walked that road, and the Holy Spirit told me to reach out to his mom and let her know how sweet her kid was, and how much he missed her but in the same sentence how much fun he was having.
So I did. I reached out even though part of me felt like a random weirdo. Her response was confirmation that God was, in fact, all over this, as she shared she had been missing him terribly that day and this communication soothed her heart. We ended up chatting all day and randomly beyond that. I even ordered a painting of a sunflower with legs wearing cowgirl boots!
For the heart of a loving parent, the happiness and safety of your child supersedes any personal grief you may have of being separated from them. Even though she missed him, she had genuine joy that he was having a great time. This day (and the picture I now have) will serve as a reminder of two things for me: 1) God’s love is not limited in any way. He used two women several thousand miles away from each other to demonstrate His love. 2) Our children are not OURS. They are HIS. We are merely stewards of them. What is best for them is Him. This day reminded me that my prayers for my children need to be centered around them having and growing their relationship with Jesus. Everything else is secondary. But sometimes knowing that and feeling it are two different things. I can promise you, God sees you. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you today.
Roasted Peanuts 