When God Says Otherwise

The older I get, the more I find myself soaking in the moments. Reminiscing about the past. Looking back on this life I have been so richly blessed with and searching for the lessons along the way. Lord willing, my goal is to pass on a few tidbits and nuggets of wisdom to my children and grandchildren.

Today was Mother’s Day

Over the last couple of days, I’ve talked with, texted, and spent time with all of my kids, and most of my grandkids, too. One of the greatest gifts was simply watching my children parent their own children. I heard a few of my own words come out of their mouths, and for many of those moments, I felt a deep sense of gratitude that just maybe, I got a few things right.

There were also a couple of moments where I saw things they learned from me that, with a little more wisdom now, I might have done differently. But until they ask for my advice, I will sit back, pray, and trust that they learn quicker than I did.

Another highlight of my Mother’s Day weekend was seeing two young men from our Christian school. They weren’t my own children, but in many ways, they were. I loved them, prayed for them, and yes – even cried over them more than once. Of all the things I could have offered them, I gave them this: I believed in them. And even more importantly, I trusted that God had a plan for their lives.

When I saw one of them – now a grown man who just said his vows of marriage – he hugged me and immediately introduced me to his new bride . He said, “This is Mrs. Woster. She taught me a lot about life.”

I laughed to myself and thought, How in the world did I do that?

But then I remembered.

I had patience when he messed up – but I also told him the truth when he did. I told him I believed in him. I reminded him that God had a plan for his life. I encouraged him to pray, to slow down, to let God work things out. At the time, he wasn’t always ready to hear it. In fact, he pushed back more than once about this “so-called plan” I kept talking about.

But God…

I also had the opportunity to walk alongside his mom during those hard years. And if I’m honest, any wisdom I had to offer didn’t come from me. It came from a life that had its own share of challenges, from a pastor and his wife who poured into me, and from God’s Word that continues to guide and shape my life. There is no way I could have been any help to that young man, or his family, without those things.

And yet, here we are.

This week, I’ve found myself crying more than once – tears of joy, tears of gratitude, tears of awe at what God has done. Seeds that were planted years ago… seeds that I couldn’t see growing… seeds that I wondered about… are now bearing fruit.

At his wedding reception, I heard story after story about God’s goodness. About prayers that were answered. About how God orchestrated the timing and the meeting of two beautiful souls.

And then, as if that wasn’t enough, another young man walked up to me – another former student. He smiled, shook my hand, and told me how well he was doing. Another life I had the privilege of watching, praying over, and staying connected to over the years.

As I drove away yesterday, I cried again.

Because sometimes, as parents and as adults, we wonder…
Are we really making a difference?
Do the lives we pray over, worry over, and invest in actually change because we tried?

I can say with confidence: Yes.

Watching my own children and grandchildren is one of the greatest blessings of my life. But knowing that God allowed me to play even a small part in the lives of others – that is something that fills my heart in a way words can’t fully capture.

We may never know how many lives we’ve touched. We may never see the full impact of the seeds we’ve planted.

But if we remain faithful…
If we are obedient…
If we love, speak truth, and point others to Christ…God will do the rest.

“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine…” — Titus 2:1 (KJV)

Titus 2 reminds us that those who have walked a little further have a responsibility to encourage, teach, and guide those coming behind us. Not perfectly – but faithfully.

So keep planting. Keep praying. Keep loving. Because the seeds you plant today may one day become the testimony someone else stands on.

And what a gift it is, when God allows you to see even a glimpse of it. 🤍