“The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, ‘O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!’ ” (2 Sam 19:4)
David’s son, Absalom died trying to destroy David. Absalom hated his father. And yet, David loved him in spite of all the water that had gone under the bridge between them.
We talk a lot about the joys of parenting, but there is another side that is less often discussed – the heartaches and trials of loving children who grow up to be adults and have the freedom to choose to love you back or not.
If David and Absalom were the only examples of this sort of struggle we could put all the blame on David (who certainly made some major mistakes along the way) and say that it is entirely avoidable… but they aren’t the only example. Good men like Samuel faced the same struggles with their offspring.
After all, even God, our eternal Father, faces His children turning their backs on Him. He loves us with an unending love, and yet, we rebel and choose the broad gate that leads away from Him. Good parenting means that you give your children a good foundation… but ultimately, they will have to choose for themselves whether they wish to build upon it.
And no matter what they choose: you will love them.
“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23)
Matt 4:4 #Biblebites