... "Fly Baby Bird Fly"... He's got it under CONTROL....

so she has left the nest.. my little baby bird.. the little one, the last one... the spoiled, over protected, unique, precious youngest daughter of mine..

excited for what these next few months will teach her.. she is growing up, and I like what I am seeing.. strong inside and passionate.. she has been making good choices navigating through this rather confusing, at times overwhelming world..

she has been texting, calling and emailing and I have seen a few pictures too... I am happy to see her smile.. praying for exactly that.. just looking at the last picture I got a little sad though...

I think that is one part of what this is.. for the longest time, actually for the her entire life.. I was pretty much around.. well, obviously not all the time, she was always a little busy social butterfly.. but still... not to be around at all is going to be strange.. it's okay.. and, she in her very wonderful letter to say Good bye to me she even said it.. this is a time for me.. not to have to take care of her anymore.. how cute.. and how weird... :)

I know that our God has it all laid out perfectly... the growing up is part of His perfect plan.. for each one of us.. just learned some more of how beautifully, creatively and amazingly He has EVERYTHING planned out..

always liked the story of Naomi and Ruth, her daughter in law.. and Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, who, man of integrity that he was, came in and solved all the problems they had... Naomi, wife of Elimelech.. whose faith in His God was not strong enough to keep him in his native land during a famine , fleeing to Moab, a hostile country.. both sons getting married to Moabite women, ( sinning again... ) lost her husband and both her sons in this foreign land and ended up returning to Bethlehem, returning home,  hiding under the protection of the God of her people... bitter and without hope..

but there He had put all those plans and provision  in place for her.. laws about gleaning, ( grains purposefully left behind by those harvesting for the poor, the orphans and widows ) and ultimately the Kinsman Redeemer... redeeming the land that was Naomi's but that she was not able to work, and marrying Ruth ... so the two women were taken care of....

and then.. He, Our Good and Merciful God, who loves us so... He goes even further.. He, who is able to do all things, He "gives conception" to the formerly barren Ruth.. and the family lineage can go on.. "funny" how this son, Obed, ends up to be the father of Jesse, who was the father of David...

what started out as disobedience and rebellion led to a homecoming, back under the authority and protection of Him, who is wise beyond what we could ever even comprehend.. who is forgiving, and infinitely loving.. and He.. He had it all planned out long before.. bringing good from the bad for those that love Him, trust Him and obey Him..

so for all of us letting go of our children.. we can be assured that He has it all planned out down to the most intricate detail... His love for them far outweighs ours ( as much as I cannot get my head around that one ) ... so... "empty nest" mothers and fathers... trust Him and wait expectantly on Him .. He is going to do great things in the lives of our baby birds :)