Dropping off our firstborn to go to college was one of the hardest things I have done. We had nurtured him for eighteen years. In some ways, I may have identified with him too much. We loved watching him grow, learn, and play sports. We dropped him on the campus and started the long drive home to Houston.
When Sarah told Abraham to send his son Ishmael away, it distressed Abraham. This was Abraham’s own flesh and blood. God was not worried though. In Abraham’s grief, God told him that he had plans for Ishmael. God would turn him into a nation as well. Truthfully, God’s plans for Isaac did not negate his care for Ishmael. So Abraham obeyed and sent Hagar and Ishmael away with some food and a skin of water. Hagar and the boy wandered in the desert. Was Abraham’s provision enough? No. But God would provide.
Can we trust God with our children and grandchildren? Remember God gave them to us in the first place. He knows the plans he has for our kids. We teach them to trust God and then we show our trust by releasing them into God’s care. The same God who has cared for you will care for your kids. Believe it.
