I remember the FIRST day all too well…the phone rang, and on the other end was my oldest son, Willie, calling from jail. Feeling the great need to continue to be his rescuer, my husband and I immediately dropped everything, and went to the jail to bring him home. We hired a lawyer, and then began down that long road where many parents go.

Adopting him at the age of 11, we always found ourselves rescuing him from something. After all, God had asked us to lay down our life, and to take him in as our son. Why wouldn’t He want us to continue to guide him, and help him through all of this! Those years of his growing up were the scariest, toughest, and most painful years of my life.

With each trial, I would ask God “why?”…We were encouraged by some to send him back to DHS, but, then God would speak to me in a very loving and gentle voice; “I have called you to be his mother, to be Me with arms on and to show him My unending faithfulness. You are equipped to walk this out with Me.”

As the number of the trips in and out of jail and prison became more frequent, the Lord began to speak to me in the same voice, “Show him My love, but he needs to look to Me for his fix, not you or the world.” So when the calls came, and we said, “No”, the empowerment was there to walk that out. Those again were hard times, but Jesus was there to comfort, to collect every tear, and to affirm that He has the best for my son.

What I learned in the past 17 years, was that my call was to love my son and to show my son God’s faithfulness to me; to show him that no matter what hand I was dealt or choices I made, He would never leave me or forsake me.

So, to all you parents out there that continue to face these situations, rest in the arms of Jesus. I went through so many things as a young mom, but now I am stronger in His faithfulness. I love this article from Lance Lang founder of Hope Is Alive Ministries that shows such a balance in supporting our children, but allowing God to be their rescuer!!

Written by Gretchen Cannon