When did they transform?
I think I missed it even as I was staring at them day after day over the last five months.
Somewhere in all this time, they became little boys instead of my babies. Their wobbly, uncertain limbs became strong enough to run around the block and petal their bikes out of my reach. And they are all so very tall. And their feet – their feet seem HUGE!
As I watched my boys pedal their bikes down the street the other day, I was suddenly struck by how much transformation had occurred in them even when it felt like time had stood still.
Like a lot of parents right now, I’m honestly so worried for them. I don’t know how they’ll deal with masks, I don’t know how they’ll adapt to social distancing. I fear for their health and ours. Most of all, I wonder what they are going to think about this new world when they finally step all the way back into it.
But when I wasn’t looking, they grew up a little. And so maybe they are more ready than I think. Maybe in their transformation from my babies into my big boys, God has given them all they need. And equipped me too.
Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration- the moment when the apostles see the Lord shining radiantly before their eyes and are instantly afraid. But the Lord tells them “Do not be afraid” – for they were simply being given what they needed to move forward in faith and enter into the real work ahead.
My prayer this morning is for the grace of a little faith and a little less fear. May we have faith in our children and their resiliency. May we have faith in ourselves and our ability to navigate the next few months. But most of all, may we have faith in God who always sends us what we need even if it isn’t always packaged in a radiantly light at the top of a mountain.
