By Alex Florez
My three children have all attended the school where my wife and I teach. When our kids were younger, our whole family had the unique opportunity of spending our waking hours on the same campus. If any of them needed me, I could be by their side in a matter of minutes. Admittedly, we were spoiled by our proximity to each other. But we experienced a seismic shift in our circumstances when our oldest finished fifth grade and was entering sixth, the last grade offered at our school, and we had to take her to a different campus and leave her in the care of others.
I often contemplate whether we’ve done enough as her parents, but this experience really made me wonder. Have we taught her everything she needs to know about our crazy world? Have we told her often enough that she’s smart, beautiful, and kind? At the heart of all my questioning is this: Can my little girl make it without me? Even if our specific circumstances are fairly unique, all parents understand the central challenge of letting go.
Paul seems to have really loved his friends in Colossae. Certainly, he wanted what was best for them, as evidenced by the letter he wrote to them. Perhaps he lost sleep, wondering if they would make it on their own. And maybe he grieved and worried for the believers when he learned of their being persuaded to follow bad teaching about Jesus.
But we see in his letter to the Colossians that his fears were stilled by his confidence in the Lord. Paul was able to trust that the Holy Spirit would faithfully attend to the work that had begun in the hearts and minds of his friends. He was able to let them work out their own faith with the assurance that “in [Jesus] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
I read these passages and find solace. Truly, my daughter has everything she needs to tend the garden of faith the Lord has planted within her heart, no matter where she is. And in all of life’s moments when I have to walk the process of letting my little girl go, I, too, can remember that all the wisdom and understanding she needs rests powerfully in the name of Jesus, the confidence of our faith.
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