There’s a time bomb hanging over my head. It’s counting away the days, minutes and seconds until my firstborn blasts out of this house, out from under my wing and into the world of adulthood. Six years, that’s it. More than half of his childhood is over. There’s more time gone than there is time left. 

Perhaps it sounds crazy to you. Maybe your firstborn is still a wee child and you’re wondering if the days will ever get shorter. Or maybe you’re nodding, thinking back to the days before your nest was empty, and remembering the dread that comes when your baby bird nears the edge of the nest and spreads its wings.

If you’re like me, you have heart palpitations at the very thought of this inevitable moment. You fret over every day, trying to pack in as much “quality time” as you can. And after memorizing the perfect smoothness of his unblemished, pre-pubescent baby face, you kiss his soft cheek and try to ignore the tickle of peach fuzz against your lips. Then you go to your room and cry. Because his departure is one day closer, and tomorrow there will be one less sleep until your boy is a man.

But what if it’s all just a matter of perspective?

Instead of focusing on how little time I have left with my 7th grade son, I am trying to focus on all the time I’ve had—and all the time that’s stretched out before us. Because I don’t want to go through the next six years envisioning the day he leaves home, panicking at the thought, and losing the days to fear-filled tears. I don't want to squander the future by wishing for the past either. I want to spend the next six years treasuring this man-boy, making memories with him, and watching him turn into the man God designed him to be.

It’s a daily struggle, I tell you.  Some days, when I put on my lipstick in the rearview mirror and catch a glimpse of Adam, I see a little man and wonder where the baby went. 

Taking a deep breath then, I remind myself to stop looking at life as though time's running out. The years ahead hold so much potential for him—and so many firsts for us. Envisioning my Sweet Pea making his first quarterback sack, getting his first job, taking his first driving lesson, and going on his first date squashes the dread inside my heart and gives me something to anticipate.

I have so many plans for the next six years. There are so many things I want to do with Adam, so many things I want to show, teach, and experience with him.

But I’m trying to stop those plans from clouding my view of what God has for Adam’s future. My perspective is finite. My plans aren’t perfect. But our Creator’s perspective? It’s eternal. He sees my boy’s past, present and future all at once. And His plans? Well, they’re perfect.

God’s given me exactly the right number of days and hours that I need. I just have to change my perspective to try and see His purpose.

What situation in your life could benefit from a change of perspective? Where are you struggling to see through your plans and into God's purpose? Are you stuck in the past or hung up in the future?

Kristy Rose is a Gen X homeschooling mom who sells Avon to support her writing habit. In 2006, God transplanted her to North Dakota. Moving to the state her great-grandparents homesteaded in 1903 and the ensuing adventures on the prairie have deepened her faith and given her a heart-felt understanding of God's amazing mercy and grace. You can get her take on pretty much everything at throughrosecoloredglasses.weebly.com. Read more JOY Blog posts by Kristy.