To let them fail is so hard. As a parent I don’t want my kids to experience pain, suffering or struggles of any kind. I want their lives to be full, joyful and rewarding. Yet, no life is without struggles, without ups and downs, without failure.

I was chatting with a young man after church who was sharing his struggle with moving home after several years of living on his own. I shared with him what I tell my kids, “Life happens, and if needed, home is a safe place to land.” He said that was a gift to my kids because moving home wasn’t easy.

He shared that he found comfort in knowing that almost every story in the Bible is about someone’s failure followed by God’s intervention and redemption. He knew God had a plan for him and he simply needed some time to regroup to keep moving forward.

The truth is life happens. We make mistakes some big, some small. Life throws curveballs and we are knocked off center. We are reminded to be grateful for these trials.

^2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2-4 MSG).

Let them fail. It’s hard to see my kids struggle, yet I also know God is at work forming them into His likeness, teaching them dependence on Him. It has been through my own failures, struggles and challenges that God has formed me. Those are the places I have grown, found resilience, and dependence on God. It’s hard to see those moments as gifts but they have been. I wouldn’t change any of them.

Can you let them fail? Do you see God at work in those moment? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.