Another First For Me To Enjoy!

There are a myriad of things to remember in raising children; their first words, first steps and the time they shot out the living room window with a bb gun, "But mom, the first time I shot it it didn't break!" Today is another one of those firsts for my family, my oldest child leaves the nest for a very extended period of time.

Micah is leaving the country to go and live for a year studying worship leadership at the Hillsong College in Sydney, Australia. To say that I woke up today with mixed emotions is an understatement for sure. I am both sad and extremely excited, sad that I will not have my son living in my house for another year, and excited because the boy that leaves my home will return as a man.

Getting him ready for this trip has caused our house to be in an uproar, washing clothes, getting electronic gadgets prepared, remembering to get all of the paperwork in order. It's exhausting, more so for my bride as she has done most of the work, which I know you ladies will say is typical, and that's okay because it is.

It is at this point that I begin to wonder and question if I have really done everything that I need to do as a father to prepare my son to face the world. I'm sure that I have missed something, but I was encouraged yesterday on my way to work with this thought from the Holy Spirit, "David, I gave you My Son, won't you give me yours?" And even though it saddens me to see him leave, I know that My Father has Micah in the palm of His hands and will be there for him even when I can't.

Sending Micah off like this is exciting for me because I know what he is about to experience. Not from Hillsong and all that God has for him there, but in the natural. That thing of being on your own, making decisions (some right and some wrong) that will effect your life a lot, and being forced to do it on your own because your parents (and the safety and security that they have been for you since you were born) aren't there with you. It is both scary and exciting, and there is something in experiencing that which makes you grow into a man.

It's like the butterfly in it's cocoon; if it is helped out of the cocoon and not allowed to struggle to free itself, then the process which causes the butterfly's wings to develop and get strong enough to allow flight is hindered and the butterfly can never become what it was created to be. In the same way, if Micah's mother and I don't let him go and experience all that this will be for him, he will never grow and develop into who God wants him to be. It is hard to watch the butterfly struggle, but so very important.

I will be sad today and maybe even the days to come as we process all that is going on in our family with Micah gone and await the news of his arrival and all. But the coolest thing about God is that He was not caught unaware about this time in our lives. If there is one thing that I have learned from God in the past several years, it is that He is right here in the midst of my family's lives in every area. He encouraged me with this thought, "This plan for Micah was Mine before the foundation of the world. I did not leave you and the family out of My plan. I will be there right with you, Cheryl and April while he is gone." That encourages me that God thinks about how we will miss Micah and that He has a plan for that too. What a great God we serve!

So today is another first for me, yet even though there might be a little sadness with it, I know that there is greatness in Micah's life to come, and that will make it all worth it! Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!