I have a special place in my heart for a mother I’ll never meet, but her story gives me strength. Jochebed. You know her as Moses’ mother, the woman who placed her precious baby boy in a basket and watched him float down the river. She followed the basket, knowing how many things could go wrong, but in the end, she had to leave her child in God’s hands.
I thought about Jochebed as I sat and cried with a friend during one of our regular coffee dates. She was walking through a difficult trial with one of her children, and it was breaking her heart.
“We prayed, we stood, we believed, we loved,” she said through shallow breaths. “Why? How?”
My heart ached along with hers; I know the feeling too well. Blending a family has been one of the most difficult things Skipper and I have done together. We are still on a journey filled with twists and turns, hurdles, and emotions to navigate. Before we were married, people told me it would be difficult, but in our “excited to be married” minds, we were certain all would be well.
We sit down each night for our prayer time and thank God that He has been with us on this journey. Even though our children are grown, we rely on His strength and 
grace daily because we know the journey isn’t over. And I always thank God for a man so grounded in his faith. Skipper anchors us when the storms rage.
Giving our children to the Lord can be gut-wrenching. When I think about Jochebed, I am amazed at her faith. She knew Pharoah, the king of Egypt, had ordered all the Hebrew male infants killed. He feared the Israelites would soon outnumber and overpower the Egyptians. So Jochebed hid her newborn son for three months, but then knew she could no longer protect him. The Bible tells us, “She got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.” (Exodus 2:3b, NLT)
I can’t imagine the flood of emotions Jochebed must have felt, yet she entrusted her child to God. We don’t know exactly what was in her heart, but I believe she knew God had a beautiful plan and purpose for her child’s life, and that’s what gave her the courage to step away.
I love the way the story progresses: Jochebed soon learned that God orchestrated Pharoah’s daughter to bathe in the river at the perfect time—just as the basket floated into her line of sight. She rescued Moses from the basket and committed to raise him as her own. Pharoah’s daughter then hired Jochebed to nurse the baby until he was older. I keep reminding myself that Jochebed must have believed God loved her child more than she ever could have, especially as she saw His incredible plans fall into place. It gives me peace during the stormy times to realize God feels the same about my children. He loves them more than I ever could.
We want to keep our kids safe, fix their problems, and help them make the right decisions. But there comes a time when we are no longer in control, and we must commit their futures into God’s hands. We trust Him to carry them – and us – through that darkness. Even when our kids are adults, letting-go is hard, but we trust 
God will always be present when we can no longer be there for them. And when our children turn in the wrong direction and reject us because of addiction, wrong decisions, or simply choosing the wrong path, God takes it from there. They are never lost.
It took courage for Jochebed to step away. I have prayed throughout my life for grace to do the same. What a comfort to know our children are in the hands of a God who is ever-present, loving, caring and victorious. When things look hopeless, we can know that God never changes.
My friend and I ended our coffee date with a prayer, laying it all down and letting God take over and carry our children to the place we could no longer go. What freedom there is in knowing our extreme is His opportunity. No matter how dark it gets, we have a Savior who won’t let go. I pray that you will remember the faith of Jochebed, and know that God will walk through the darkness with your child. Hold on to the Savior, let go of your hurt. They are in great hands.
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