Bon voyage

It's a sort of like building a ship and sending her out on her maiden voyage. This Sunday we move our daughter Clari into her campus housing at the University of North Texas. I realize the metaphor is fundamentally flawed. While we have certainly contributed to the person Clari has become, she is very much her own person. Always has been. So at some level we are confident she'll do just fine without us. Still the last 18 years have all been about preparing her for the day she'd be on her own, sink or swim. The older I get the more I understand that letting go is very much a part of life. Letting go involves change, and change, movement. Maybe that's why we resist it so much. We get comfortable with things "as is." We prefer the familiar and predictable. But change is inevitable, even when we fight it tooth and nail. It is our failure to adapt and move with change that leaves us stagnant and scared, longing for the good old days. But here the ship metaphor helps us. We trust that she'll hold water; that the inner bracing will withstand gale wind forces; the riggings, sail and rudder, provide some level of control. Ultimately we must let go and trust. I suspect that this metaphor holds true for the child of God. While God has certainly contributed to the people we've become, we are very much our own persons. Still, God in his wisdom sets us free. While we often talk about trusting God, we rarely talk about God trusting us. Clearly, it is a leap of faith.