Last week I attended my oldest son’s kindergarten graduation ceremony. The educators had the nerve show a “Year in Review” video slideshow of the kids while playing “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift. Did I cry? Uh, yeah.  In case you’re not familiar with the song, here’s the chorus:

Oh darling don’t you ever grow up, don’t you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don’t you ever grow up, don’t you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
I won’t let nobody hurt you
Won’t let no one break your heart
No one will desert you
Just try to never grow up
Never grow up

I left the ceremony, in just about as bad an emotional state as I did dropping him off for his first day of Kindergarten. I went home and started to post to Facebook about how sad I was that my oldest kiddo was now a Kindergarten graduate and was growing up right before my eyes. But as quick as the sadness came, I remembered a fact I’ve known since he was a newborn in my arms.

See, even though Taylor Swift and I may wish for Deuce to never grow up, God’s purpose for Deuce is just the opposite. God deeply desires Deuce to live into what He has created for him to do today, tomorrow and in his years ahead and to make Him famous the entire time. This is something Deuce can only do if he grows up. And so God’s purpose for Markus and me is to build deep foundations of Biblical character for our sons, as we live and teach them all that we know about God. We are to make God famous as we are with our kids, so that they learn how to as well.

So I faced 2 options, to stay down about my kiddo graduating Kindergarten or embrace that he’s that much closer to making His name famous. If I stay down, I won’t parent intentionally to further him toward the goal. I’m distracted by my emotions. But if I embrace him growing up and all this implies, I can stay focused on parenting with spiritual intention knowing I’m a partner with God to create today and tomorrow’s world changer.

As this sank in for me, I went from grieving Deuce graduating Kindergarten to celebrating that he’s that much closer to living out God’s purpose for him.

So Deuce, though I want you never grow up and stay this little, I want more what God wants: to grow up, to live into what He’s planned for your days and to make Him famous the entire time. May you come to embrace one of my favorite verses:

“Your Name and Your fame is the desire of our hearts” – Isaiah 26:8

Here’s to more graduations!