Daily Devotion

“Children are not tools for their parents to live for, but souls entrusted to us by God. When we think we are shaping them, it is often God shaping us through them.”

Augustine · Confessions

Scripture

Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

Reflection

The Psalms say that children are a heritage from the Lord, not my achievement. Today on the ski slopes, as my children skied away and I fell, I suddenly realized: God entrusted them to me not so that I could control their lives, but to accompany them as they grow and watch over them from behind. When I am willing to let go and let them go on their own, my heart is filled with joy, and I see God shaping me into a more humble and patient father.