Moral of the Story

Cindy Trane Christeson

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not

seen.”

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I rode a bike today with several friends, and we stopped for a snack.

While sipping coffee, we shared stories about our families and our

Mother’s Day experiences.

One friend named Mary talked about the fun reunion she and her husband,

Don, enjoyed with their daughter, son-in-law and grandson in Colorado.

She showed us pictures of them as well as their son and new

daughter-in-law, who have recently made a two-year commitment to serve as

missionaries in Africa.

Mary explained that God is using that fact to teach her to trust God in

new ways -- a lesson that God is also teaching me.

“It’s been a challenge to my faith to think of them going there,” Mary

said. “Not just because they will be gone for so many months, but also

because of all the diseases there. I went for a walk and prayed about it,

and realized it was all about me trusting God. The question was, ‘Will I

or won’t I, can I or can’t I’?

“The answer is ‘I can’ because he is a trustworthy God. I don’t want to

be fearful and worried. I have trusted God with my children all their

lives, and he’s been faithful. Whatever he allows into their lives could

happen here as well as some foreign country. I just need to pray and to

see them as being in God’s hands.”

Mary’s words echoed my learning experience from Mother’s Day. Neither of

our daughters was home this year, but my day was a blessing before Jon

and I even left for church.

Our daughter, Amy, called from college in Northern California. We had a

great talk, and then she asked if we’d heard from her sister, Kelly, who

is studying in Argentina.

We told her we didn’t know how Kelly was, but we knew where she was

supposed to be. An earlier e-mail from Kelly said that she and another

student decided to get out of the busy city for the weekend and chose to

visit a remote village in northern Argentina called Salta.

I had never heard of Salta before, but on Saturday I heard the name twice

in the news. First, I saw pictures in the newspaper of fiery protests and

violent demonstrations somewhere in the world. When I looked closer, I

realized it was in Argentina, specifically in Salta.

Then a few hours later, Jon came in the house and said, “Cindy, there’s

just been a 6.8 earthquake in Argentina. Guess where the epicenter is?”

I’d guessed it before he finished the sentence. Somehow Kelly’s life is

often surrounded by unusual excitement. Fortunately, Kelly’s life is also

surrounded by many prayers. We no sooner told all that to Amy and hung up

before the phone rang again.

I answered and heard a favorite voice say, “Hi Mommio, happy Mother’s

Day.”

“Kelly, you’re safe!” I practically yelled back.

“I’m fine,” she said. “In fact, I missed all the excitement. The worst

thing was a turbulent flight.”

Just like Mary said, I need to see our children as being in God’s hands.

I’m just so thankful that his hands reach everywhere.

And you can quote me on that.CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach

resident who speaks frequently to parenting groups. She can be reached

via e-mail at cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at P.O. Box

6140-No. 505, Newport Beach 92658.