I realized that my boys are all in the midst of becoming.
They are all in the midst of becoming who they will be, maybe who they want to be, but also who they don't yet know they will be. It is both awesome and fearsome at the same time. We were all together for approximately 15 minutes on Saturday and we won't be together again until Thanksgiving when the older ones are home from school. This is a hard reality for a Mama, but at the same time there was an assurance, a settledness, and quiet peace that it is all going to be OK, that they will make it - and so will I.
Because they are all in the midst of becoming.
They are all - each one of them - in the midst of doing exactly what we have raised them to do: grow, love, serve, share. As their parents, we have poured in and nurtured and prayerfully provided the tools that we hoped would allow them to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around them, to be an extension of God's love and grace and mercy into our world - into their worlds.
This is who I see them becoming. This is what I bore witness to on Saturday as we were all together standing on the grounds of the camp where 3 of them were loving, serving, and sharing this summer.
This is what I let sink deep into my heart as my 4 boys-becoming-men stood huddled in a circle sharing a bond that only brothers can share, sharing their unique language of time and love and laughter that has been forged over the years. A unique brother-bond fashioned through some heartache and pain, through some tough times and many great years together, but also with more than a little bit of grace poured in to provide healing and to build trust. Life!
As I watched my boys and realized they were in the midst of becoming, a new truth settled in my heart. It was a truth that is reflective of Jesus' mother, Mary in Luke 2:19, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Later, in 2:51, we read the same sentiment, "But his mother treasured all these things in her heart." Both of these verses come directly after a time when I imagine Mary realizing that her Saviour-Son was in the midst of becoming - He was becoming who He was meant to be in and for our world. These verses directly follow two different times when Mary could have been angry or upset or confused by Jesus' behaviour and actions. Yet she did not respond that way. Instead, she responded with a heart that treasured all her son was, while being in the midst of becoming all he will be. Mary didn't miss these moments but rather she acknowledged them and held on tightly to them.
Mary treasured both the moment and the Man deep within her heart.
Like Mary, I want to treasure these moments when I witness my boys in the midst of becoming who they are meant to be. I want to treasure both the moments and the men, and I want to celebrate them in the midst of their becoming! When God gives me a glimpse into all my boys are becoming, I do not want to miss it. I want to treasure it - oh boy, do I ever want to keep it nestled deep within the safety of my heart, where no one can take it away. This is the sacred privilege of being a Mom - these moments are mine to treasure in a way no one else can or will.
Hold tightly, dear Mama. Your moments are yours and yours alone.
In truth, we are all in the midst of becoming because the act of becoming is a process - and an ongoing, never-ending one at that. Let's celebrate being in the midst of becoming together! Let's acknowledge and encourage each other on the journey to becoming more of who we are each called to be. This does not mean life will be perfect, all will be well, and no wrong decisions will ever be made. Rather it is in the midst of the messiness of life that we continue to grow, change, and learn. It is in the midst of the beautiful messiness of life that we become. So let's celebrate the moments, the people, and the God who walks with us on this journey and who delights in celebrating with us!
I know that our becoming - my boys' becoming - is more about who Jesus is than who I am, who my husband is, or who my boys are. I do not take credit for what God has done. I do not take full credit for who my boys are, but I am so very, very thankful to be the Mom who gets to watch, treasure and celebrate these moments and these men in the midst of their becoming.
