Support System

Who has your back?  Who’s in your corner?  Who believes you’re the greatest?  that you can do anything?

I grew up with that kind of security.  I was a Daddy’s girl.  Where he went, I went.  His tag-along.  If I had a need, Dad was the benefactor.

There was the time I needed Planaria for my science project.  Flatworms that regenerate body parts.  Cut in two, they have the ability to grow new heads or tails. Fascinating stuff!  He drove me all over the city of Chicago to find the species. I had no idea how much they cost but it didn’t matter.  Dad provided.

He was always there for me.  Rarely said no to a legitimate need.  From chauffering my friends around town to casing the house when he had to leave for the night shift, Dad supported me emotionally and physically.  He was in my corner believing his baby girl was one in a million!  And making sure I was okay.

Fast forward a few decades to the Sunday afternoon our entire family was doing the same kind of thing…supporting our granddaughter, Emma.  Another science project (don’t you love ’em?).  As Emma feverishly completed every aspect of research and writing, her dad was googling to find answers to her questions the textbook didn’t provide.  Her mom purchased the tri-fold board and was supervising the cutting and pasting of headlines and paragraphs that Emma had produced on her laptop. Even Grandma and Grandpa got in on the act willing to help out where needed.  It was beautiful.  Beautiful support.

This was a learned behavior.  Demonstrated by others before us.  Parents and grandparents from both side of our families had influenced the way we loved. Support passed down from previous generations to the present.

What does your support system look like?  I have a friend who spent the morning in prayer while her adult daughter took a difficult test in med school. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985, my entire family drove hundreds of miles to be there the morning of surgery.  On the day my son was making a decision about full-time ministry, my mother spent the day fasting and praying for him.  Every morning on the way to school, I would pray for my children’s day, committing their work to the Lord, and asking for His help to do their best.

What does that kind of family interaction do for a child?  It breeds confidence, assurance, security and love.  Mom and Dad attending recitals and ball games; helping with homework and studying for tests; being interested in what their child likes; providing opportunities for growth, and praying over all their concerns.  How sad that so many children don’t have that blessing.  Not everyone has the privilege of supporting their child because their own needs are far too great.  But loving support is vital to a child’s well-being.

Paul said he would gladly spend everything he had for his (spiritual) children and expend himself as well.  In the same way, we moms should very gladly spend everything including ourselves for our children’s benefit.   Children do not support the root but the root supports the child.

It doesn’t always cost money but it will cost time.  Sacrificing personal desires to be there for them.  Love is proven by actions.  How willing are you to let your children know how valuable they are?  How much will you expend to help them succeed?   It’s a huge investment but a sure one…guaranteed to bring monumental returns today and way down into future generations.