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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Psalm 127:1

Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.

I have never seen The Husband this happy. He wasn't this happy when I graduated with my PhD. He wasn't this happy when HE collected HIS A level results. He wasn't this happy when the children were born. He wasn't this happy when we moved into our new house.

He was so happy that his last words before he fell asleep last night were "I'm so happy." He was so happy that he woke up in the wee hours this morning, covered my face with kisses and said "Thank you for bringing up our daughter well." He was so happy that he then went to wake up The Daughter to get her to produce the A level certificate for his perusal over morning breakfast. I was happy too but I don't think I felt anywhere near the ecstatic joy The Husband experienced.

The Daughter and I believe that we owe this all to God.

We know people who have bested The Daughter in every subject for months and in test after test after test. For 2 years, the performance of many other students was consistently better... and The Daughter's performance was consistently just a little bit inferior. Teacher's remarks on almost every assignment was "XXXXX is capable of better performance given her intelligence." Such remarks came so often that they began to sound patronising - remarks made ONLY to encourage a student who would otherwise give up.

It seemed to me (and to The Daughter) that she would never make a breakthrough... that her kite could not take off no matter how hard she tried. In the end, I accepted that whilst we, as a family, aren't dumb-dumbs, we just couldn't match up to the raw intelligence demonstrated by some of The Daughter's classmates. And that was just FINE. However, that was no excuse to stop trying, if only to see where one would really end up... because sometimes, God just wants to see some effort, sincerity and obedience to His will. If He put you in a place then He expected your best effort to be expended to glorify His name.

Try as we might, The Daughter and I cannot make sense of the 8 Distinctions The Daughter brought home yesterday. We for sure knew other people more deserving. Between a time-consuming BOYFRIEND and her own inability to make an academic breakthrough, we were willing to accept the chips wherever they fell. To know that the lots fell in an array of such perfection is to experience being bathed in the golden aura of God's grace... or to have tongues of holy fire consume your being.

I asked The Daughter this morning what she planned to do. She answered me thus, "Mom, I don't know. For having experienced so much grace from God, I feel that I should try my best to be an instrument of His will. I will do what He wants me to do." I stared at my daughter across the table and realized that God was telling me that my work was done. That henceforth, He will take over and she will be in good hands - His hands. It was only at this moment that I felt my own ecstatic joy.

God used me mightily in The Daughter's life to craft a woman of God... a woman of strength, grace and beauty. I don't suppose I could have done it except that God made ME an instrument of his will, and His skill had crafted another being who will have the courage and obedience to stand in the gap between the Living and the Dead. I am glad I have not labored in vain. I am glad for the lesson which God gave me 10 years ago when He placed upon my heart the duties of the kind of mother he wanted me to be.

Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.

11 comments:

Rachel Tan said...

How very sweet and joyful :)

God blesses richly, and in His time. To God be the glory!

Petunia Lee said...

Rachel - Amen!!

Petunia Lee said...

Sinfonia - Yeah... we dun care where she chooses to go now. It really is up to her to take control of her life. This is the point where I have to stop being a Mom, and start to respect her as a friend.

Anonymous said...

the happiness for your daughter's achievements know no limits...God is to be thanked and profusely!

Open Kitchen Concept said...

You are blessed in many ways indeed.. Your daughter is all grown up now! :)

Petunia Lee said...

Theanne - Indeed so!

Petunia Lee said...

OKC - Yeah... it sorta feels good!!

Sweet Pea Yeo said...

I share your joy :-) God really blesses

Petunia Lee said...

Thank you Sweet Pea.

A said...

Praise the Lord :-)

-violin_lover

Malar said...

Very sweet ending! COngratulation to you both! God bless!