Why I'm Thankful My Parents Raised Me to Leave

I was talking to my dad on the phone "Dad, I think I want to stay down south after school is over." I waited, expecting a sad sigh and possibly a lecture about how foolish it would be to choose to stay 1,000 miles away from home after I'd already been away at college for four years. There was a brief pause and I could picture his contemplating expression. Then I heard his calm, deep, reassuring voice on the other end. "You know where your mom and I stand. We believe in you and we trust you. If this is where God is leading, then stay."

I don't know if I would have had the courage to move south for college and certainly not to stay down south post graduation if it wasn't for my parents trust in two people. God and me. 

My parents firmly believe in the triune God of the Bible, one who is sovereign over creation and divinely interacting and intervening within history in the lives of his people. In whose son Jesus, we have redemption, life and relationship with day in and day out and hope for eternity. I have watched them for 21 years trust God through tight finances, difficult job situations, challenging acquaintances and friendships, ill children, impossible spiritual warfare, difficult children (there were four of us in six years, things were bound to be crazy) and personal physical and emotional struggles. I have watched them fight for their faith against all odds and for each other in a culture of divorce. 

I have been raised with freedom within limits as a young child and then growing trust as I grew older. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with my parents in the last four years where its ended with "This is your decision. We trust you."

And this is why I know its okay to not move back home. To pursue unhindered the radical life that following Jesus requires.  But you're twenty-two, you might say, you're an adult. You should be free to decide where you want to go. Well yes, but I'm still close with my family and no matter how much I like or dislike it, being away from family as a young woman is not all that easy at times. But I feel like I can take this adventure on, knowing that I have parents who support me and love me, who are allowing me to do crazy things for Jesus because they love him too and know that following and loving Him means doing crazy and scary things. They know that Jesus requires sacrifice, even leaving family in order to follow him. I never truly realized how hard that command was until it came to deciding where I should go and believing his call was to stay south. 

I love my parents because my mom and dad believe God more than they believe their fears. I love my parents because they love Jesus more than me. 

And for that, I'm eternally grateful.