I was just listening to a podcast of a church service in which the preacher was talking about building people up then releasing them into the world to overcome giants, to face trials, and to grow. He then went on to say that this is what parents need to be doing for their children, rather than holding on to them because they're either scared they'll fail or that they'll succeed and do better than the parents! If you release them then they will come home.
I am so very grateful and thankful to my parents for helping me to do just that. Encouraging me to take off to America when I was 18, and letting me do it on my own and my own way, was the best thing they could've done. It was during this time, and subsequent trips, that I learned so much about the world, about people and about God. My parents probably knew that it would help me grow up and become more independent and capable, but I don't think they would've thought about the ways in which it made me come to rely on God in a whole new and lasting way. I wouldn't be the person today if it weren't for all of this. And it's true that by releasing me into the world they caused me to want to come home.
I may as well make this an official tribute to my parents and say "thanks Mum and Dad, you're amazing!"
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