The Brevity Of Childhood

It is a strange feeling when your youngest child turns 18 years old.
Still a teenager, but yet an adult.
Did I listen when seasoned mothers told me about the brevity of childhood?
Probably not, because it has caught me by surprise each time.

Most mothers can list the times they fell short.
The times they were too tired to play one more game of Candy Land.
The times when that favorite book just cannot be read one more time.
The times when ten more minutes of cuddling is set aside because bedtime calls.

Ask a child and they don’t remember those times.
They remember when you sat up all night when they had a fever.
They remember the cold cloth on their head when they threw up for the tenth time.
They remember licking the spoon when you made brownies.

Mothers remember the one game they were not able to attend.
They remember you cheering loudly from the sidelines.
Mothers remember the frantic pace of getting out the door on time for a concert.
They remember you sitting in the second row, waving while you took pictures.

Mothers remember the time they lost their temper over that little thing.
They remember the time you listened to their heart for hours.
Mothers cringe when they think of the time they said that unkind thing out of frustration.
They remember all the times you told them they were the best!

Mothers always remember their children as babies.
In a split second that adult child sitting in front of you fades away.
The infant you held in your arms is there; the sounds; the smell of newborn skin.
You can actually feel your hand wrapped around their little finger.

Diapers, teething, and crying, seem to be a distant memory.
In its place is this amazing person that grew up before your eyes.
This amazing person who brings their gifts to the world.
This amazing person that will be part of the solution.

Children grow and separate; making a life of their own.
Parents let go, but secretly long for just a little more time.
Not because of any regrets.
Rather, because the time was so sweet and much too short.

So often I see young mothers in the grocery store at their wits end.
To them, at this moment, eighteen and independent seem very far away.
I usually smile at them and tell them that I remember.
Many times those words are enough to start a conversation.

You do…does it get better?
It does…it goes by much too fast. Just enjoy this special time.

They look at me incredulously, as if my memory is skewed in hindsight.
Do they listen to this seasoned mother tell them that childhood is incredibly brief?
Probably not.
But maybe, just maybe, my words get tucked away somewhere to be remembered later.

Life is lived forward but understood backwards.
So true.

Michael Card, a Christian music artist, wrote in his song, Come To The Cradle:
When God gives a gift, He wraps it up in a child.

God wrapped the most precious gift in His son, Jesus.
God continues to wrap a gift in the life of each child He creates.
A gift.
Every child is a gift.

Childhood is brief.
The time for wearing princess dresses is fleeting.
The time of cuddling on your lap goes by much too fast.
The time for asking Why is abbreviated.

Be ready with your answer to their Why.
Because you are created in the image of God.
Because you are my child and I love you.
Because you are an amazing person with a myriad of gifts that God will use for His Glory.
Because you can do everything through Him who gives you strength. (Philippians 4:13)

The brevity of childhood.
The adventure that is before them.
The hand of God ever present.

“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 a hope and a future.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

The brevity of childhood.

Sweet, tender memories to hold onto.
Readiness to launch this Gift from God into an unknown future.
Endless possibilities before them that are known to God alone.

He has them in His Hands!
There is no better place for them to be!

 

 

2 responses to “The Brevity Of Childhood”

1. Well said my friend!

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2. You were right. This is a great thought. Jer 29:11 is one of my favorites. (Pastor’s too!) We’ll use this verse Saturday in our study.

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