Hovering

“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” Genesis 1:2b, 3 (NKJV)

Ever wonder why some of us moms, or dads, have a tendency to be overprotective? Helicopter-ish? Just plain hover-y? For years our children blatantly told me I was belabored with this malady, grandly offering to make their points more clear by telling me to “back off!” Yikes! What’s a mother to do? I could blame any number of things, but that would make it too easy. The reality of it all was that with our blended family of six: four children ages thirteen, twelve, six, and newborn; plus one dog, two cats and a horse; and the two older children grieving the death of their mother, should I not hover? Like a hen clucking for her chicks, being responsible I took seriously.

Thinking back fondly of those busy, crazy days, I wonder how we navigated through it all. It was literally only by God’s grace that life unfolded as peacefully as it did amongst our chaos. So many living, moving parts: hubby working full time in his civilian job, and part-time in the Idaho Air National Guard; me working part-time to help make ends meet; the children in various activities and grades, or not quite; remodeling the house to fill our growing needs. We prayed about everything, and watched with faith as the LORD worked with so much favor, grace and blessing in our lives. Of course, there were many things only our children knew of their experiences growing up in our household, that dear husband and I would learn of later. Hovering in prayer and love was where we started as parents to even begin to tackle the challenges life would bring.

I have gone through a long process of learning to let go, from those days of being verbally told to do so, through those times I’ve had to to maintain my mental health! Learning to trust God with the most precious gifts He has entrusted to me. Walking that unknown path of parenting children, then teens, then young adults, then adults, then adults with spouses and children of their own (when we still had two at home). So many variables in relationships, flexing when husband would deploy with the Guard for a few months, then adjusting to new family dynamics again when he returned. Health and legal issues. School issues. Relational issues. Emotional issues. Issues sometimes seemed to erupt volcanically, and yet we learned to walk one day at a time through it all. Trusting God with things we never imagined we would face. Seeking His light in our darkness.

Recently reading Genesis 1:2b of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters brought to mind the darkness of the deep that existed then, the chaos, the waters not yet divided, earth in its primordial state. How did God deal with this situation? Verse 3: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” Oh! What joy it would have been to speak those words into our chaotic situations, and have light appear just like that! Our blessing: to learn to rely on the One who is the Source of light to our paths. Still, it has taken me awhile to learn that hovering over the situation, or individuals involved, is not the final solution, but is part of the process of creation. Of growing that thing, that world, that person. And with that revelation, I feel better about myself. Hovering is an innate part of me, a part of the DNA God breathed into me at my conception. Whether hovering over my family during chaos, or my keyboard as I endeavor to work out the chaos in my mind, hovering is not all bad. For out of it, with just a few words or many, and God’s mighty grace, comes finally the solution, the light! And into His light I have happily placed those I love.