isvarapranidhana

"to lay all your actions at the feet of God."


Today our son graduated from combat basic training with the U.S. Army and tomorrow he heads to further training in San Antonio, Texas.


Riley is not our son by birth. He is not formally adopted either. He came to me after he graduated from high school and needed assistance navigating the unfamiliar waters of enrolling in college. I was his chosen person because of my job in a high school guidance department. Because he had no home, we invited him into ours and he has been with us for a year now.


We could barely afford the two sons we already had, but knew right away that Riley needed to be one of us. We instinctively knew that, by being willing to offer our home and parental guidance and love to him, God would help us provide for any needs that might seem beyond our financial resources.


My husband and I are often congratulated for our generosity and we are uncomfortable with those kinds of remarks. We have never had much but we've always known we would be okay and not starve or end up on the street. God has seen us through tough financial times over the course of our 28-year marriage. As long as we continue to do what seems to be right and good and honest, we know that our needs will be provided.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about trusting God to supply all our needs. The passage Matthew 6:25-34 is about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air and how God cares for them. We are so much more to God than that. Verse 33 says:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."


Now as this beloved son leaves for the next phase of his Army career, we say goodbye to  him and send him with small tokens and expressions of our love. Riley told me today that he is coming to know God. We pray for him daily and one of the prayers we will offer for him is that he too, can know the abundant life God will give him as he learns to lay his actions at HIS feet.