Sometimes the Lord sends us a song at exactly the moment we need to hear it.
There are times in life when I believe the Lord knows exactly what we need, even before we know how to ask for it. Sometimes it’s a conversation. Sometimes it’s a person who crosses our path. And sometimes, it’s a song that suddenly appears in front of us when we least expect it.
I’ve experienced this before with Jelly Roll. During times when I was struggling, his music seemed to find its way into my life at just the right moment. I never knew where the Lord would lead me next or what song I would hear, but somehow, the music always seemed to arrive when I needed it most.
And now it’s happened again. This time, it was River Cain. I know people say Facebook is a waste of time and I’m not going to argue with them. But at times I’ve discovered singers I hadn’t heard of and made new friends and found new businesses to work with. I am grateful, thankful and blessed for Facebook.
This week I discovered River Cain on Facebook either the day Charlie was getting ready to leave for Hobart, Oklahoma or the day before he planned to take his first big solo road trip. I had never heard of River Cain before. I wasn’t searching for a particular song, and I certainly wasn’t looking for something to make me cry.
But there I sat, listening to “Mama’s Boy,” with tears streaming down my face. The timing was something I couldn’t ignore. Charlie was getting ready to spread his wings and take a road trip to Oklahoma all by himself. As a mother, I was proud of him. He had worked hard to get his driver’s license, and now he was ready to experience a little more independence.
But let’s be honest. Being proud and being ready to let go are two entirely different things! I was about to experience my own little taste of an empty nest, even if it was only for a couple of days. As I listened to River Cain’s song, I felt like the Lord was reminding me that Charlie could grow up, travel, and find his own way without ever stopping being my boy.
Charlie has told me he doesn’t plan to fly too far away. And that’s okay with me. He may be learning to fly, but he will always be my ride or die. There is another reason Oklahoma is special to our family. My daughter Suzzane wanted to live there because of my dad.
So when Charlie made his first trip there, it brought another layer of memories and emotions with it. Suzzane will always be my number one, too. Even though she is in Heaven, she remains my daughter, my best friend, and a part of my everyday life and she didn’t get to do the things Charlie is doing and that is sad.
Charlie is making his own memories in a place that already holds family history. Sometimes I think about how our children’s lives take different paths, yet the love connecting them never disappears. For that I am grateful, thankful and blessed as I count down the hours until he comes home.
Listening to “Mama’s Boy” also made me think about David and his mom. No matter how old our children become, they will always be somebody’s little boy or little girl. We spend so many years raising our children, teaching them, worrying about them, praying for them, and hoping we are giving them everything they need to face the world.
Then one day, they start making their own decisions and traveling roads we aren’t sitting beside them on. But that doesn’t mean the love changes. There is another song that has been on my mind: Jelly Roll’s “It’s Gonna Be Okay.” And I believe it and I know Charlie is also going to be okay because the LORD will protect him.
Not because motherhood suddenly becomes easy or because we stop worrying about our children. I believe it’s going to be okay because the Lord has Charlie in His hands. I cannot follow him everywhere. I cannot sit beside him on every road trip or protect him from every bump in the road.
But I can pray for him, love him, encourage him, and trust that God is walking beside him. That is something I am learning as a mother. Sometimes we have to let our children experience the world while remembering that the Lord goes places with them that we cannot.
Charlie, if you ever read this, I hope you know how proud I am of you. Charlie, You’ll Always Be My Ride or Die!! I love watching you grow, discover new things, make memories, and become more independent. I may have a few tears when you pull out of the driveway, but those tears come from loving you so much.
You are still my boy. You are still my best friend. You are still my ride or die. And just because you are learning to fly doesn’t mean you have to fly too far away. I’ll always be here, cheering you on, praying for you, and saving you a place at home alongside dad and your dogs.
I don’t know where the Lord will lead me next through music. I don’t know which artist or song will show up on my Facebook feed tomorrow. It might be Jelly Roll. It might be River Cain. Or it t might be somebody I have never heard of before. But I have learned to appreciate those little moments when a song finds its way into my life and reminds me of something I need to hear.
Sometimes the message isn’t complicated. Our children grow up. They spread their wings. They travel, make decisions, and build lives of their own. And we learn to let them. But they never stop being our children. For this mama, the message is simple:
Charlie, fly when you’re ready. Explore the world. Make memories. Follow the road God puts in front of you. Just remember, you’ll always be my ride or die. And it’s gonna be okay. Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
Mom’s, I have a question for you. Have you ever heard a song at exactly the right moment in your life? Has a particular artist or song helped you through a difficult season, a new chapter, or the day your child started spreading their wings? I’d love to hear your story. Sometimes the music we share reminds another mama that she isn’t alone.
GratefulMoments.com
Greatful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
