Do you ever wonder what the future holds for your children? Do you pray for that newborn you hold close at night, that she’ll let Jesus be the Guardian of her way?

I’m sharing here snapshots from my mom’s life, born a homesteader’s daughter out west–that’s her–the dark-haired baby in the photo at your right, with her older sister. In her childhood, she and her five siblings had polio, measles, mumps, chicken pox, you name it. They survived. I can’t imagine being their mother, and wondering if they would. Or how she felt when their school bus flipped over into a canal and all the children escaped the water-filled bus intact.

Fast forward to my mom, in her Bible college days…where she met my dad. They married and had four children in five years, while dad attended seminary and started his lifetime career as Pastor-teacher.

Here they are with my brothers and sisters: this photo was taken the summer before my brother David was hit by a car on his way home from kindergarten. He’s the cutie standing in front of my dad. Who could know that he’d die at only six years old? God knew, and had prepared my parents to accept it with what they call “dying grace”.

My parents will celebrate 50 years of marriage this June, and as I address the stacks of anniversary invitations, I can’t help but reflect on God’s faithfulness in their lives.

Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us, sung at their wedding, and at mine, has been a song I’ve prayed over each of my newborns as they grew. It’s a perfect lullaby, especially when you substitute the “Us” with “Her” (or “him” if you’re raising little boys)…

We don’t know what the future holds for our children, but as Christians, we can rest knowing God holds them in the palm of His hand.

In the meantime, what are we doing to equip these entrusted to our care with the Biblical worldview and grounding they’ll need in the days to come?