(free print) Declare This Over Your Kiddos

My oldest celebrated her 18th birthday earlier this year. After that she got her driver’s license.

We were both sitting at the tax collectors office waiting area after her driving exam. She passed. While she was talking excitedly on the phone with her best friend, I sat there feeling all the feels.

I was proud of her.

I was excited for her.

But I was also bewildered by the reality of it all.

Like how did I get here? How did all of this come so fast?

I desperately wanted to relive all the moments of her being little. This parenting stuff is hard. We hear it all the time from older parents, “Cherish it, enjoy it, it goes fast.” I remember hearing it in the thick of never ending nursing, teething, temper tantrums, etc and thinking “thank you for the tip but I would love some sleep.”

Gosh, it does go fast and it makes me cry every time I think about it.

As a mom of three girls, two of them are teenagers who aren’t home that much anymore. This means I am gradually getting a taste of an empty nest. And it hurts. I am so thankful and happy to see them thriving and creating a space for themselves in this crazy world. At the same time my heart cracks at how 18 years just whizzed past me.

But what I struggle with the most is worry. They are no longer under my wings 24/7 and at times that is a difficult one to process. It requires complete surrender and letting go.

I want them safe. I want them to do the right thing. I want them to make good choices and use common sense. I want them to think critically, to have good judgement and pursue God more than anything and anyone.

We all know that as parents our job is to leave them with a good foundation. We all do our best. But the rest is prayer. A lot of daily prayer.

Galatians 5:22-23 is a powerful one to pray. I want the fruit of the spirit to abound in my girls. It’s my greatest desire. So I decided to design a print that I can frame and have in clear view in my home.

You can print your free copy down below. If you have kids who are in college or high school, give them a framed copy to keep in their room as an encouraging reminder.

And if you have little ones and are in the trenches of sleepless nights and tantrums, I feel you and I see you, take it one day at time and be present. The sleep does eventually come and it will feel like it came way too fast.