Making Wise Choices

This morning came early...well, it actually came at the same time it usually does but for some reason it always seems a bit earlier the morning after a 3 day weekend.  I've got one who is up and out of the house by 4:30am and another who has to be driven to football practice (yes, I said it out loud.  The baby is playing football this year because he begged and we, in a moment of weakness, caved) at 5:30am.

And I'm going to say something else that I have never said out loud.

I can't wait for him to be able to drive himself there.

What can I say?  Third child, extremely early mornings, exhausted, older mama.  

I've been thinking a lot about how our thought processes change as we get older.  I've parented my boys with the same core values that I have and they are firmly woven into the fabric of who they are,  yet they still make decisions that have me scratching my head as to where their ideas are coming from.

Did I teach them that?  Would I have chosen that path?

But then, in a moment of quietness, I got it.  We've taught them to think for themselves.  To experience life.  To make choices based on what they know to be true.  

Their life choices aren't necessarily what I would choose now, at the age I am.  But back when I was younger, before experience came to play, I would have.  They are living their lives the way I lived mine.  They don't have the knowledge (and worry and fear) that a 40 something year old has...they have the freedom to make mistakes and not freak out over them.  

They aren't making bad choices...they are just living their lives.  Did we worry about health insurance (we had a baby without it) and moving without jobs (we did that a few times) and never making enough money (uh...story of our lives)?

Our parents had all those worries for us and we rolled our eyes and now we are doing the same thing.

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The core values?  Very present.

God has whispered a very quiet whisper.  'I've got it covered. You pray for them, talk to them, love them.  I'll do the rest.'

OK.

Today is a brand new day.  It's come early but the coffee is brewing.  There's work to be done, a bible study to go to, bread to be made, floors to be mopped, a pup to be walked, children to be prayed for.

And I'll continue to text them my advice, because that's my job.

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