A Child of Good Works

For this child, we have prayed…

(1 Samuel 1:27)

While I am proud of my work in manufacturing and workforce readiness, my biggest accomplishments for me are associated with being a wife and mom. The justification for leaving my corporate career and pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities started because I needed more flexibility in my schedule for my family. Along the way, I discovered the journey en route to my purposed work.

When we downsized into our current house, I decided to convert a first floor nursery into my home office space. On the wall, where the bassinet may have been for the previous owners, was a wall decal with the words “for this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me the desires of my heart.” I initially tried to peel it off, but doing so took more effort than I wanted to give at the time, so I covered it with a desk/hutch combination and an inspirational picture promising that “the Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.” As I type this blog post, I am leaning on the promises of both for our child.

Since Trayvon, I can remember where I was when I heard the news reports of each incident and the ensuing conversations at our house after. While we know we are raising an intelligent, well-mannered, respectful young man, in an unexpected turn of events, someone could mistake his 5’ 11” frame as something else. A truth moment: we went out of town a month ago and left our son at our cousin’s house for the weekend so that he could train for an upcoming track meet. Since we are all still relatively new to this community and our respective sub-divisions, I specifically asked my cousin to follow Q in the car when he went for his morning run to avoid any concerns about a tall stranger running through the neighborhood.

Last week, the three of us traveled in different directions, so on Sunday, when the latest viral video hit the news rotation, I was did not immediately initiate a conversation. The incident did not turn into a teaching moment until Q asked to go over to a friend’s house and my husband used the video to illustrate how quickly things can get out of control, how to respond to people in positions of authority, and how black fathers constantly give their black sons instructions for staying alive. Instead of being a part of the conversation, I went into my room and began to pray for my son and this generation. Using the words from the scripture, for this child I pray

…that he grows from a boy into a man and realizes his full potential
…that society will see him for who is on the inside and not pre-judge him by his outside
…that we will not have to worry about his life whenever he is out of our sight
…that he knows that grace and mercy will protect him where ever he goes
…that he never forgets that he is wonderfully and marvelously made; one of a kind
 

Q's 7th Grade Reflective Journal from 2014

Yes, I pray for our child, for this generation, and for society to do better. As adults, we have to live by example and teach basic life skills. While I am proud of his smarts and personality, I am thankful to witness his self-awareness of the world in which he lives. Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.