Too Heavy to Carry

In the first post, I mentioned a suitcase too heavy to carry. Two years ago I was given the autobiography of Corrie ten Boom to read. (It's amazing, you should all read it if you haven't yet.) One part of the story really stuck out for me so I'm going to paraphrase it.* Corrie was a Dutch woman who lived through the Holocaust.** In it, she tells of a loving and innocent life her parents and family were able to provide for her. The part that really struck me was when she, at a fairly young age, accompanied her father on the train for some business. She had recently started to see and hear about some things dealing with sex that she didn't understand because she hadn't had any experiences. Her father wisely picked up his very heavy suitcase and asked Corrie to take it. She had a really hard time holding it up because it was so heavy. Then he asked her what kind of father he would be if he let her carry a suitcase full of things too heavy for her. She understood at that moment that what she was wanting to know was too much for her to deal with and her father was lovingly protecting her. She could trust that her parents would teach her what she needed to know when she was ready to know it. Innocence does not last long and while information is easily forgotten, knowledge of things is not. My first prayer for all of your lives is that those of us who love you all the most will be able to protect your innocence. But . . .
Another part of the book that struck me came after the Nazi's brought all sorts of evils into her life, including putting her and her family in a concentration camp. Her parents worked so hard to provide safety and security for the family but in the end the world seeped into their home and did its best to destroy them all. With the lessons and love her parents had passed on to her, she was able to survive one of the ugliest events of world. She was able to witness humans at their most hideous and still maintained a love for God, life and others. My second prayer is this: for the moments that our protection is not enough, we can pass on to you the unconditional love of God that will help deal with whatever ugliness you will have in life.
Your mom and I both realize that while a large part of parenting is protecting you, a larger part is teaching you how to deal with life according to God's infinite grace. I love that grace, it is the pillow that catches my head at the end of each day and quiets my mind as it replays all the bad choices i've made so I can go to sleep. It is the refreshing shower every morning that washes away the bad dreams my tormented mind harasses me with at night and gives me a new hope for each day.
*Super funny thing to know: About a month ago your mom read the book as well and she mentioned that part really struck her not knowing how much it struck me as well. Ha ha, we're sisters, sisters . . .
**The book is The Secret Room. Another good holocaust book is Night by Elie Wiesel. Also watch Schindler's List.