Finding Joy in Today

It was just like any other Sunday evening. My husband and I were sitting in the living room watching one of my Hallmark Movie and Mysteries movies. Well, he was looking at his phone while I was watching the movie.

All of a sudden, to our delight, his phone rings and it was my youngest son who was driving home after dropping off his girlfriend. My husband put the phone on speaker and we were casually talking when all of a sudden we hear a loud “CRASH.” Being just in a car accident a year prior, we new the sound of crushing metal. I can’t even begin to describe the shock and fear that penetrated our hearts and minds in that moment. My husband starts asking my son if he was ok….no answer. He asked again…no answer. Then I start yelling into the phone…..no answer. With my mind thinking the worse and my body trembling in fear, my son finally, after what seemed like eternity, answered us and says he thinks he’s ok but his truck is not. He just hit a twelve point buck going 60 mph and ended up in a ditch. Now let me add something here. There was a restlessness in me that I felt all day concerning my son’s safety so I already was praying for his protection before the accident happened.

Being over an hour away from him, we felt helpless. There he was stranded on the side of some back country road and it would take us forever to reach him. But guess what? God was already at the scene of the accident before I was even able to process what had happened. He never left Joshua’s side and He protected him from hitting the telephone phone pole right beside his truck. Psalm 91:11-12 says:

“For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

God’s Presence in the Chaos

So many times we go through things and wonder where God is. We may go through financial difficulties, broken relationships, times of illness, or watching our children suffer pain. Yet, even in our darkest moments, God is not absent; He is right there with us. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. He doesn’t always explain why we are going through what we are going through, But Isaiah 41:10 tells us “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” God promises to hold us through every storm, offering a quiet strength we cannot find on our own. In the heavy silence where words fail us, He hears every unspoken word, panicked whisper, and confused question that will ever enter our mind.

I couldn’t be there with my son, but God heard my uplifted prayers and went before him preparing the way making sure the traffic stopped in the other direction since he swerved left of center, and made sure every pole was missed. In a moment that could have ended in tragedy, I see nothing but divine protection and mercy. My heart overflows with gratitude for the unseen hands that shielded him when I couldn’t, proving that a mother’s prayers are never out of reach.

Lessons in Trust and Surrender

While our children are young, we often think that the stress and worry over their well-being ends when they become adults. Boy, this can’t be further from the truth because the worry never ends. I think I worry more now as a mother to adult children because I can’t be there at every moment like I could when they were young. So I had to learn the art of surrendering them to God entrusting what I love most into the care of an ever-present Savior.

When our children become adults, surrendering them to God often means shifting from their protector to prayer warrior believing that God has everything under control. Cover them in prayer. When you see something in their lives that isn’t good; pray for them. Look for scriptures to pray over your children. Turn your worry into worship. Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

How Do I surrender my Adult Child to God?

Acknowledge that God is Sovereign. He loves your children even more than you and He is in control of their lives and their future. Knowing this can give us peace when we feel anxious.

Turn your worry into a prayer. Whenever something happens in our adult children’s lives that causes us worry or fear, we can go to the Word of God and find scripture to help us formulate a prayer for that specific situation. Place them into God’s hands.

Allow natural consequences. This one sounds mean but if we have surrendered our children to God, then we know that God will show up in their mess. Step back from rescuing them from every difficult situation so they can learn to rely on God as their provider and helper.

Focus on loving support. Offer your adult children love and a listening ear without unwanted solicited advice.

Conclusion

When my son called us that evening, I was not aware that I would witness the sound of a crash. Fear tried to tell me the worse case scenario. But God had a different report! Through this journey, I learned a truth that every parent needs to anchor their soul in today: Our adult children never walk this earth alone. The same God who reigns on the mountain top is the very God who walks through the lowest valleys with us. Rest in this assurance today that your prayers are not hitting the ceiling. God hears every cry of your heart. Your prayers are mighty and moving the hands of heaven. Keep praying, keep believing, and watch God faithfully work wonders through the fervent prayers of your righteous heart.

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

James 5:16