Another Point

"After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "

32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34They replied, "The Lord needs it." Luke 19:28-34

I also enjoyed this point from our Palm Sunday message. And that is that God knows what he is doing, even when we are clueless. Even in those moments when we have no idea what we are doing or why we are doing- those times where we may feel a little lost, God knows what is going on. That can be a great comfort! Lately I have been feeling a little unsure about things relating to church, but again (another message for me!) I can take great comfort in knowing that God knows. I may not know the reason for being where we are, but God sure does. And in his timing, that will be revealed to me. In the meantime, I will embrace the fact that God knows. I may not, and that is okay- it doesn't mean I understand it, but I will continue doing what I do and pray for guidance and wisdom.

A Message

This past week, Andy and I realized that the last time we took a break from church was in August. Every Sunday he's been at church serving, and for some reason, we just felt led to take a break this week and go somewhere else. So he made arrangements and we chose a church to attend that Abigail had actually asked about at some point. Our church that we belong to is very small, and very cozy, so you can imagine the difference going to a mega-church might be. But it really wasn't. Abigail thoroughly enjoyed Sunday School class, and the message by the Pastor was specifically for us. God wanted us at that church yesterday morning because the Palm Sunday message was a confirmation for us to stay the course. That we are doing exactly what we should be doing and to keep it up. We felt so encouraged as we left that church yesterday. They are doing great things, and will be in my prayer list for a bit of time to come.

Anyway, the message. There were three parts to his sermon, and it would likely take a while for me to post all of my thoughts on the whole thing, but there is one part that particularly stuck out to me- and that I was supposed to hear.

38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

40"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Luke 19:38-44

There is such a strong visual image here, and that is of Jesus, riding on a donkey, all the people around him cheering and praising him, and he is weeping. And as the Pastor pointed out yesterday, it wasn't just a little tear running down his face, it was outright sobbing. That is a very powerful image to me. One of the points of Jesus weeping is that he still weeps today. And no doubt he does, when he sees God's children make choices other than him, or sees priorities placed in the wrong things, he cries for us, because he knows what we're missing out on. He cries when we place an importance on things and money and material possessions. They aren't important. We had it 100% confirmed yesterday that placing Christ as our #1 priority is exactly what we need to be doing. While there have been several lessons that we have learned from Andy's time of unemployment, the number one has been that stuff is just stuff.

This has been a lesson for me. We are finally at a point in our lives where we can afford the good stuff. We can afford to spend a little more on quality. And for the most part, I think that we are better for that- we're not buying junk. But as an example, I really, really have wanted new living room furniture. Our couch and recliner have seen much better days and part of me has always been embarrassed when company comes over and has to sit on it. So I've been looking at new furniture. And I shouldn't be. While our furniture is ugly, it's serviceable. I could spend several hundred dollars on a new couch, or I could take that some money and put it towards God's work. We have been learning this over the past several months, and I swear that in a crowd of 500-600 people, the Pastor looked right at me when he said that Jesus cries when we place importance in stuff.

Not only was it confirmation for us, it was a challenge. We left that church feeling like we have been challenged to reduce our reliance on "stuff" even more. And while we talk about all the things that we want to do once Andy is working again, the reality is most likely that a larger portion of our income will be set aside for God. And you know what? We're looking forward to it. Now we are feeling that while we would really like Andy to go back to work, it's not for us. It's not for our betterment, because God will continue to meet our needs for as long as we need him to. But imagine all the good that will come of an increase in giving. The missionaries we could help support, the programs we could help sponsor within our church- and maybe even within others. Times are changing, and we will continue to listen to the Holy Spirit, because he hasn't led us wrong yet. It was so wonderful to have our feelings and thoughts confirmed for us yesterday. I feel a lightness today, and I thank God so much for that and for the wonderful Sunday we had yesterday.

Persistence

In Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells a parable about a judge who "did not fear God and did not respct man" and a widow who was seeking protection from a legal opponent. She kept on coming to the judge asking for help. He was unwilling to help her, but because she was persistent, he gave her protection. Jesus then says "now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly." vs 7-8.

Unlike this judge, our Heavenly Father and judge wants to provide justice for us. We are His children. He is not deaf to our appeals. Sometimes it may feel that He is not listening, but sometimes the answer to our prayers is wait. Maybe he withholds resolution to our prayers to draw us closer to Him and make us develop a habit (and desire) to spend time talking to Him, time in prayer. Prayer is a way that we acknowledge our dependence on God and how we become intimate with Him. How do you get to know someone? You spend time with them. May I make my relationship with God a priority, over all else. That's God's priority...my relationship with Him (and yours). Why else did He send Jesus...to reconcile us to Himself, into a right relationship. Be persistent in your time with Him.

The Daughters of Zelophehad

Today my Bible reading led me to Numbers chapter 27. I had a bit of fun imagining this scene being played out so many years ago. It wasn't very often that women took a stand in those days. It wasn't done, and it wasn't really smiled upon. Imagine what was in every one's minds as five women approached Moses together! That must have been something to see! These women wanted their father's inheritance. In those days, the inheritance of a man was passed down to his sons, and with no sons, it would pass on to other men in the family. And Zelophehad's five daughters wanted their father's inheritance to be passed on to them, since there were no sons. This was unprecedented, and Moses took this request directly to God.

The Lord heard these women's request, and gave them what they asked for. And in addition to that- the laws of Israel were changed. In the future, with the absence of sons, daughters may inherit from their fathers. This was a big deal! Think about all the women thereafter who benefited from this change because these five women took bold action. Their boldness was rewarded- not only unto themselves, but to the many generation after. These women are a great example of taking a stand for what is right and what you truly believe in. It's also encouraging to me as a woman to know that even though my husband is the head of our household, that God also listens when I speak. It also shows that as women, we can approach our spiritual leaders- as long as we do it appropriately.

The Plan

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

God has a plan for each and every one of us. And he knows exactly what it is. To me, that is beyond exciting. Of course, it also makes me want to know what it is. So often I can't help but wonder if we are doing what we should be doing, and if we are where we are supposed to be. Are Andy and I supposed to be the caretakers of our church? Or is that just our selfish nature not wanting other people to take care of it? I know how well I clean the church each week. On the weeks when someone else does it, I always wonder if they do as good of a job. Are we even at the right church? Sometimes I really wonder at that. Maybe there is somewhere else we are supposed to be entirely. Maybe we aren't even living in the right town, maybe we're supposed to go somewhere without a church and start one. There are so many variables, and so many what ifs. And every once in a while, those doubts and variables are really at the forefront of my mind.

Right now, I think it's because of spring. Spring is new beginnings and starting over, and I always think about how exciting it would be to start over somewhere new. And while sometimes these feelings that I have, could be a gentle nudge, for the most part (at least right now) I think these are thoughts of doubt. Thoughts from the enemy to get us to run away from the good we are doing now. And instead of focusing on those negative thoughts, its really a struggle to think on the positive. But then I found this verse today, and it gives me such hope. God has a plan!! He knows exactly where we should be, and what we should be doing. And I know, without a doubt, that if a change is to be made, he will tell us. He will let us know when it's time for a change- in a big way. It will be a resounding call for change, and that time is not now. So for now, I pray wholeheartedly that these negative thoughts take a hike, and that they stop coming back! I pray that his will for our lives will be clear in our hearts and minds, and that we will follow it with all our hearts. For he is a great God, and only has our best interests in mind. He wants us to be happy and prosperous, and that is certainly a hope to cling to.

Daniel

Today I read Daniel, chapter 1. This was the introduction to Daniel, and how he became one of King Nebuchadnezzar's advisers. One thing in particular really stuck out to me.

" But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods." Daniel 1:8

Daniel was a man of God. He placed God first and foremost- even when choosing his meals. Daniel was Jewish, so his reasons for turning down the Kings food was likely due to the food not being approved for Jews to eat. Daniel was living in the King's palace, and being offered the richest and the finest food and wine to eat and drink, and he turned it down to place God first. Instead, he ate vegetables and drank water. God was Daniel's first priority, and as a result, God blessed Daniel, and Daniel thrived and flourished on his vegetables and water.

Daniel put God first. He took a stand- and not the last one he would take in his life. He committed his life first and foremost to the King of Heaven- before the Kings on this earth. We can use Daniel as an example for setting God first in our lives. When God is our first priority- imagine how things will fall into place. All of Daniel's decisions were based on his commitment to God- he refused to defile himself by consuming food and drink that was forbidden to him. He made up his mind to please God first, and stuck to it. Do we do that? Do we please God by not defiling ourselves? No matter what the issue is- lying, cheating, watching movies we shouldn't, spending money that isn't ours to spend. When we choose God first, those bad habits will fall to the wayside, and our life will reflect the decision we've made to put God first.

Daniel chose to stick with God, and in return, God stuck with Daniel in everything. By choosing God first, God will also stick with us- through thick and thin.

You can do it!

At church recently we've been discussing witnessing and evangelism. There's been plenty of encouragement on how to be bolder and be better able to start up a conversation with a stranger- because you never know where that conversation may lead. Something that has come up recently is what to say when the time comes. What do you say when one of these conversations turns into an opportunity to witness? How do you know the right things to say? This morning as I opened my Bible I found exactly what will happen when the time comes. When the door is wide open and the opportunity knocking, God will take care of it.

"10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”

11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12

It would be very easy to make excuses about why I couldn't witness to someone. I could say that I'm not very good at that kind of thing and send them to someone else, or I could have a whole long spiel prepared ahead of time, but that would sound very canned and prepared, and not very "from the heart", in my opinion. Instead I can be confident in my God. Confident that by being obedient to God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, that I will find the right words to say at the right time. God will guide my tongue to say what it needs to when I need to. As long as I am obedient, God will do the rest.

Planning A Garden

"She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks." Proverbs 31:16,17

Yesterday we had the most beautiful day in a long time. It was in the upper seventies, which is abnormal for this time of year. It just was such a gift, and definitely needed. Zander literally spent the entire day outside playing, and my heart continuously leaped with joy as I watched him run around and explore everything. He's just grown so much over the winter, and when I watch him hit a baseball with confidence or kick a soccer ball, I am amazed at how much he's changed over the last several months. As we blew bubbles together yesterday I just thanked God for my precious little boy, and I prayed that he stay such a treasure.

While we were busy playing and discovering, Andy tackled readying the garden. We have a shed in our yard, and last year, we placed a tiny garden off one side of it. As much as I want a vegetable garden, I hate the idea of taking up my children's play space, so we've gotten creative with our gardening. This year, God showed showed us the unused space (12 feet!) along the back of the shed that gets full sun most of the day, so Andy made a second bed along the back, and then because she asked for it, he made a small bed for Abigail to plant whatever she would like. And even though it's much too early to think about planting yet, I was looking at the raised beds, empty, and thanking God for this opportunity. And I prayed that he would guide me as to what would be best to plant this year. It's been such a joy for me to pull vegetables out of the freezer or pickles out of the pantry from last fall. I can't wait to begin the process of planting and tending and eventually harvesting and preserving.

God has placed this intense desire on my heart to take care of my family as best as possible. And in the process, they can learn along with me. Both my children can't wait to plant a garden, and I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they bite into a carrot they've planted, nurtured, and pulled out of the ground themselves. I am so grateful for this opportunity to teach them and work with them on the family gardens, I only pray that I am able to use as many teaching opportunities as possible.

Trust

Trust in the Lord is a beautiful thing. God is trustworthy whether we trust him or not, but what a much better life we'll live if we use that trust! God would have us trust him so that we need not worry.

"1 O God, have mercy on me,
for people are hounding me.
My foes attack me all day long.
2 I am constantly hounded by those who slander me,
and many are boldly attacking me.
3 But when I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.
4 I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?

5 They are always twisting what I say;
they spend their days plotting to harm me.
6 They come together to spy on me—
watching my every step, eager to kill me.
7 Don’t let them get away with their wickedness;
in your anger, O God, bring them down.

8 You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
This I know: God is on my side!
10 I praise God for what he has promised;
Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?

12 I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
13 For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light."

Psalm 56

Trust in God can give us so much... it can give us encouragement, it can give us peace, it can give us understanding and comfort. And the beauty of Trusting in God is that it isn't the measurement of how much trust we have that matters. What matters is the object of our trust. By placing our trust in God we can have assurance that we have an ally. We will be provided for, we will be protected, and our enemies will be put aside.

The Builders

"Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

I keep writing something different about this passage. I have it in my mind what I want to say, but when I get it down and then re-read it, it isn't coming out right and I erase it. The essence of this passage is that we are God's builders. And one day, the time will come that our "buildings" will be judged. Those who have built well, and done great things for God with their lives will receive the reward of a crown. Jesus himself will reward those who produce a life of quality building. So how will your building measure up? Will you spend your life as a person of quality?

Complaining

Andy and I have made the conscious decision lately to stop complaining about everything. For one reason, when we complain, nothing is getting fixed, just talked about. Instead of complaining about a situation, we'd rather do what we can to fix it. The second reason that we're choosing not to complain is because it's contagious in a bad way. For example, if I complain to a group of friends about the book selection at our local library, that stick in their minds. Before you know it, they're thinking the same thing about our library, and they tell other people that. And before long, it's spread, and then the whole town is complaining about our library instead of rallying together to do what can be done to get more books on the shelf. And even worse, eventually the head librarian gets wind of these complaints, and becomes hurt because she's doing the best job she can with the limited funds she has.

Complaining can cause hurt. I used a hypothetical situation, but in a church family, complaining can have dire consequences, as it can cause people in positions of ministry to back off from their areas of service, or even worse, it can drive them out of the church altogether. And even though often our complaints may be valid, there is a better way to deal with them. And I find the solution to that in Pslams 142.

"I cry out to the Lord;
I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles.
When I am overwhelmed,
you alone know the way I should turn." Psalm 142:1-3

We should take our complaints to God. Not in a whiny, God fix this kind of attitude, but in a seeking manner. God, how do I approach this situation, is there something I can do to fix it. Is there something I could do to encourage that ministry more, or do I need to contribute of myself in some way. By taking our complaints to God, we're not causing anyone distress and we're taking them to the one who can deal with it best. I've also personally asked God to help me stop being so critical at times. It almost seems like sometimes I'm looking for reasons to complain, and I'm sure there are other people like that- we all know someone who chronically complains. In addition, I definitely don't want to be the person Jude mentions:

"These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want." Jude 1:16

I've spent a lot of time praying lately about complaining. I pray for both Andy and myself, that we can stop seeing the negative and see the positive, and I also pray that other people within our church will stop complaining as well. If we all were to stop complaining about each other, we would have much better harmony within the body, and that is so important to have. May I feel convicted before I begin to speak against one of my Christian brothers and sisters.

We Were Chosen

"Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." Ephesians 1:4,5

God loved us and chose us before we were even born. Before we were even a thought in our parent's minds, God wanted us. God wanted me to be his very own. This means that I personally was chosen by God to have a relationship with him. Wow. That God would bless and choose us as sinners to become a part of his family is surely and act of Amazing Grace. God wanted each and every one of us to be a part of his family. We are all valuable, and because of that we have eternal life, and can have an eternal relationship with the God who made us.

Rejoice!

Today I turned to Ecclesiastes chapter 5. We have found many of these verses to be true as of late. Here's a little snip from verse 10:

"Those who love money will never have enough."

How true is that. One thing that we have definitely been learning over the last several months is that money is not important. During the course of a day we'll mention something that we would like to have or something we would like to do, but we don't have the money for at the time. But then we realize that we really don't need whatever that is. What more could we possibly need? We have a home, we have clothing (well, until Zander goes through another growth spurt), we have food, and we have each other. For the most part, we're healthy, and we've all rediscovered simple things that bring us joy. Last night it was nice enough for the first time this year for the kids to play outside for longer than a few minutes. They were outside having a blast for several hours- and that doesn't cost us a penny. Andy spent the day cleaning out the shed and organizing, and discovered plenty of things that he didn't know he even had! I spent the day baking- making homemade bagels, and bread, and a delicious new stew for dinner. We've re-discovered our library, where we can check out DVD's, educational computer games, magazines, and books at no cost to us. What more could we possibly need for entertainment! I've pulled out my cross-stitch once again, and it is a true joy to re-discover how much I enjoy stitching a new wall-hanging for my son.

"Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God." Ecclesiastes 5:19,20

I certainly enjoy my daily work! I enjoy doing the laundry and seeing an empty hamper. I definitely enjoyed my baking yesterday, as the results made the entire family smile. It is a gift from God to be content with where we are and what we are doing. Last week I was lamenting the fact that I really want new dining furniture. Our set is pretty beat up, and we have our group over every week. I allowed myself a moment of pity for being embarrassed about my table and chairs. I even looked up a few sets online and debated as to whether or not it would be a good idea to charge a set and pay for it later when Andy is working again. Thankfully, God had other plans for me, because the very next morning, Andy declared his intention to repair the wobbly table and chairs, and did I want him to change the fabric at all. An answered prayer!!! For just $10 in new upholstery fabric and a few screws and staples, I have a gorgeous new dining set. It still makes me smile to look at my new chairs. Later today, I may pull out my sewing machine and make anew tablecloth for that table.

Every day we have is a gift from God. It is a true gift to kiss my daughter on the forehead and wake her for school. It is a gift to have my son declare that he wants a snuggle. It is a gift to take my hands and lovingly create a loaf of bread or a pot of soup for my hungry family. It is a gift to watch my husband pour love into a project for me. To us, this season of unemployment has become a season of love. We appreciate the small things so much more. A friend gave us a block of cheese this past weekend. It doesn't sound like much, but it happens to be one of my favorite cheeses, and we certainly can't afford to buy it ourselves. Having the tiniest nibble of that cheese puts such a smile on my face, I am so grateful for generous friends and for their constant gifts and support for us. I'm even grateful for the grey day outside this morning! As much as I wanted to hang the laundry outside today, I know those clouds hold rain, which will finish melting the remaining snow and will help soften the ground further for planting. New buds are beginning to form on the trees and bushes, and the fresh rain will be welcome to all the plant life.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

The Habit of Prayer

Today's reading was Nehemiah, chapters 1 and 2. One feature clearly stands out about Nehemiah, and that is that he was a praying man. He had a relationship with God and he prayed to him often. My Bible says that he was similar to Daniel, in that he prayed three times a day. It was Nehemiah's prayer life that prepared him for more urgent prayer later on.

So often, we only think to pray in times of need. Or during times of a crisis. And while there is no doubt that God does hear every single prayer, I can't help but think that we need to follow the example of Nehemiah. Nehemiah prayed three times a day to God, and as a result, he knew how to talk to God. He was in the habit of already talking to God, that when he needed it the most, the prayers were automatically there. Nehemiah needed to ask his king for a favor, and as he did so, he was also praying to God to grant him the courage to ask the king, and to put it in the kings heart to be kind. God smiled on Nehemiah, and the king granted him his requests without even hesitating.

A regular prayer life with God can help prepare us for our times of need. If we already have a relationship with God, and approach him daily with love in our prayers, those prayers in crisis will come much easier, and come much more naturally.

"And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me." Nehemiah 2:8

On Children

I overheard something recently. It was a question about how you know that your children are saved. I didn't think too much on it at the time, to be honest, but this morning's reading brought that little bit back to the front of my mind. Today I read 1 Samuel 3 (and then for more background I went back and read chapters 1 and 2.) Samuel was the son of Hannah and Eli. His birth was a miracle to his mother, and when he was born, she dedicated his life to serving the Lord. When Samuel was a toddler, they took him to the tabernacle to be raised there. After reading this chapter I realized the answer to the question above. How do you know your children are going to heaven?

First, as parents you do your part to get them there. The most important thing that we can do as parents is pray for our children. Daily. Not a day goes by that I don't pray for God to bless my children. I pray earnestly that as each day passes they will grow to love God more. And the second thing that I can do as a parent is make sure that they are being raised in a Godly environment and manner. Samuel was surrounded by God. He was being raised in a tabernacle, God's love was with him at all times. We can keep our children on the right path as much as possible by making sure that they know God's love, and that they know God's rules. We can dedicate our children to God's service, and we can show them what that means. We can take our children to church with us each time we go, and give them opportunity to serve as well. Service in the eyes of a child can be as simple as helping pick up the toys in a nursery. Or during a fellowship event, the children can serve the adults. We can do everything that we can to make sure that our children grow up in the presence of the Lord. That way, when it comes time, we can confidently let them go on their own. We have done what we could, and after that, it's up to them and God to make sure that is the life they choose.

This isn't to say that we can't talk to our kids. We can talk to our children about loving God and asking Jesus into their hearts. But all the talk in the world can't take the place of showing them how to live a Godly life. Showing them that we turn to God to take care of our needs and how to have Faith in God's Greatness. Samuel is the perfect example that in the end, all his parents did wasn't enough. God himself had to place the call upon Samuel's life, and Samuel chose to answer. As parents, we need to trust that God will call our children to himself. We just set the stage for that calling.