More lessons from the empty nest - oh for grace to trust him more

Last week was the last week of classes for my daughter, so she had the looming deadline of turning in the last quantum homework and her sections' lab grades by Friday. We talk and pray every day, so I encouraged her to commit her work to the Lord and trust that he would give wisdom and guide her. After all, he created physics to begin with.

The Lord did bring her through with much rejoicing from both of us. However, I found myself worrying during the day last Friday and wondering if she was stressing out or not. Yes. Ironic that I was encouraging her to trust God but not trusting that he was able to enable her to trust him. But doesn't this happen more often than not? The very advice we give our kids, we fail to follow ourselves. But in reality, she and I are both learning these same lessons. I've just had more decades of failure than she has.

Self-sufficiency, fear, and the defaults of original sin still need a good deal of mortification. I am thankful, though, that God remains trustworthy and faithful even when my trust is weak. I am thankful he doesn't break a bruised reed. I am thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to confess my unbelief with the assurance that God is faithful and just to forgive. And I'm thankful he will answer my prayers for grace to trust him more.