I have a friend who grew up in Nigeria. As a child, his family would pray before going on a journey across their city.
They never felt sure that they would arrive safely or in good time. Dependence on the Lord was the air he breathed. His parents led him every day in looking to the Lord to provide.
In the West, less is in doubt. For many of us, for much of the time, our transport is safe, our jobs are secure, our banks store our money, and our doctors are on hand for emergencies. It could be that becoming a parent is the first time we discover that we are not in control. We might try to delay that discovery. During the pre-school years we might be able to convince ourselves that we have every situation covered. We can usually (eventually) force our child to bend to our will. In the primary school years, we might be able to tackle problems through conversations with teachers, or by organising playdates and closely policing every minute that we can. We can often wipe away the tears, whisking our child out of harm’s way and wrapping our arms around them to keep them safe. But eventually, we have to acknowledge that our arms are not big enough to keep our child safe from every danger or crisis. Sometimes the threat comes from outside, through hard friendships, poverty, accidents or illness. Other times, the heartbreak comes from the discovery that children – like all of us – have weaknesses, experience failure, and are sinners by nature.
