Meanwhile...

Acts 18:24-25 "Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and spoke with great fervor, and taught about Jesus accurately..."


     The set-up for this passage is as follows: Paul has gone on to teach the people of Ephesus. He stays for a short time, and though they beg him to stay longer he does not. Instead he leaves, saying "I will return, if it is God's will."
    This is where Apollos steps in. He comes into Ephesus and becomes a great teacher for the church for awhile. He inspires the people, convinces many of the Jews that Christ is the Son of God and the small church began to grow. It is as if God had it all planned.
     It is the word "meanwhile" that catches my attention. Paul would return and teach again to the church in Ephesus, but in the meanwhile, God used Apollos to be the next influence for the people of Ephesus.
    This may be a strange passage to talk about parenting but I think there are some parallels to the church in Ephesus and our work as parents. Hear me out.
    We spend, as followers of Christ, the first 18 years of the lives of our children pouring into them the precepts, the love, the life that it is to be a follower of Christ. We influence their thoughts, their habits, their attitudes with God's Word. We try to be a good role model of the things of God.  We take to heart the promise of God found in Proverbs 22:6: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." And then they are gone. Off to college. Moved out of the house. Getting married. Getting jobs. For 18 years we are the most consistent influence on their life and then we take a back seat to the next influence.
     This is why I like the word "meanwhile". The church in Ephesus is no longer under the direct influence of Paul, but meanwhile, God sends Apollos. Things go well. Things grow. Things change.
     When our sons and daughters step out our front door into life, they will no longer be under our direct influence. We can no longer protect them; monitor their behavior; correct them. This is a "meanwhile" time of life for them and us. And we have to hold on to this: In the meanwhile, God will provide and send the next influence, the next Apollos, so that our kids can continue to grow.
     I thank God for the next influence that God provided for my daughter as she headed off to North Central University. She found a church that encouraged her and mentored her and gave her a place to grow and stay involved in ministry. She found pastors that took her under their wing. She found professors that brought out the best in her. She has grown, in the meanwhile.
    When my son followed two years later, he found a similar experience. He, too, became involved in church and ministry. He, too, found mentors and pastors and professors that have encouraged him and helped him grow in Christ and in life. Because of these men and women, my son has discovered leadership abilities that none of us knew he had possessed.
     The next influence is in place for your sons and daughters. God already has a plan for the meanwhile. Take heart.
    Of course, just as Ephesus got to glean from the wisdom of Paul time and time again, my kids come and ask advice from Mom and Dad. Since both are headed into ministry, the subject of God comes up quite often. We share resources, speak of the practics of ministry, talk about the crafting of sermons and prayer and God's Word. The other issues of life come up as well: Relationships, jobs, money, how to handle disappointment. My wife and I still have influence, but in turn my kids bring back to us things I can learn. It is a great time of life.
     I thank God for providing for my kids in the "meanwhile". I thank God for the Apolloses that He put in their path to be the next influence. I will never stop being Dad but I can rest better knowing that God has the "meanwhile" all set up for my kids, wherever that may take them.