Moving Day

The day had finally arrived. It was the day we moved our youngest daughter, Cindy, to Kingston, Ontario, Canada, to complete her last year at Queen's University.

Cindy's futon bed, computer desk, and chair, along with two bedside tables, a lounge chair, lamps, and the never-ending array of boxes filled with clothes, books, and miscellaneous items, were all packed into the truck: our daughter's life, neatly stacked and tucked away. A final check was made to make sure that she had indeed packed all of her belongings. In so doing, we discovered that she had almost forgotten her brush and hair dryer, and, in her estimation, that would have been a disaster!

We were finally on our way to Kingston. The drive was long, yet very scenic. Each passing kilometre meant absence and distance from our daughter, and we felt the anxiety and sadness building and swelling in our hearts.

Finally, we arrived at our destination, the house our daughter would share with four other girls, her new home. Cindy's bedroom was in the basement, which had a spiral staircase going up into the living room. Cindy kept busy arranging and rearranging her room. Posters were hung on the bare walls, the computer was all hooked up on the computer desk, and clothes were neatly sorted into piles, stacked on shelves, and placed on hangers. The final touch was made when Cindy draped a string of tiny white lights around the pole of the spiral staircase, giving a soft glow to the entire room.

The time to say our farewells came too quickly. Hugging our daughter and wishing her all the best was very hard for both my husband and me, as we experienced emotions in common with many others: the frustration and anxiety that come when one must let go. It never seems to get any easier.

As our children leave home for various reasons, whether to go to school, to get married, or to start a career, may God give us the grace to let go, to leave them in His capable hands, and to put our trust in Him, the living God.

Psalm 56:11 – In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. (NASB)

Hebrews 2:13 – And again, I will put my trust in Him. (NASB)

Prayer: Father in heaven, keep an ever-watchful eye on our children. Direct their paths and keep them safe from harm and danger. Grant them wisdom and strength to do what is right in Your eyes. Amen.