Surrendering my children to God

[BandMom]

How does one surrender a child to God? Is it really as simple as making it an act of the will, essentially saying, “God, I give my children back to you, to use as you see fit”? Do I have to say this often? I want to surrender my children (teens at this point), I have the intention to surrender my children to God, I just need the method/means of doing this.

 

[TheLittleLady]

We do not own our children. They are free moral agents.

We make sure our infants receive the Sacraments, we form them as disciples and surround them with a strong, Catholic community (we choose friends who are living their faith out loud, we select Godparents who are people of strong faith and virtue), we encourage them to consider well their Vocation, we encourage them in those vocations, we send them out into the world. We pray for them every day.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

You may surrender your will, but you cannot do so for your children. You can surrender your will so that they may be open to God’s will, but it’s still your will.

 

[BandMom]

Earlier I was listening to Sacred Heart radio, and there was a priest giving a talk to mothers. The priest said that when he told his parents of his vocation, that his mother just smiled, and was not surprised. Her comment was that she had “given him back” to God, like Mary did when Jesus was presented at the Temple.

 

[wiggbuggie1]

only thing you can do is to pray for them and raise them in the faith. I’m assuming your kids are already baptized in a way that’s surrendering them to God.

 

[TheLittleLady]

That is a figure of speech, it means we cannot control every aspect of our child’s life experiences or actions. Especially as they become young adults, we have to take off the training wheels, cut the apron strings and trust God.