There was a time when I thought one of my children had limits. Not because I didn’t believe in God, but because my imagination was small. I always knew God had a big plan for him, yet I could only see through my own limited ideas as a parent. One thing I never stopped doing was praying.
During QT gathering times, I always asked for prayer for him. We prayed constantly—for confidence, for courage, for strength to try his best. I tried to bring him to early morning services so he could practice praying and experience that God truly listens. Our prayers slowly shifted our focus. Instead of staring at his current situation, we began to look toward the future God would provide.
Looking back, I can clearly see that we made many mistakes as parents. But once we realized that, we intentionally spent more time with him—talking about life, encouraging him, motivating him, and helping him see a future beyond what he could see for himself.
One way we tried to motivate him was through something our family loved—cars. We bought him an old Ford. He was so happy. But that car kept dying on the road. We spent countless hours stranded, pushing it, and taking it to body shops. Eventually, we bought him another car—one that ran well and looked like a sports car. He truly appreciated it.
Around that time, he went on a mission trip to Mexico. When he came back, he said something that stayed with me. He said the children there were very poor, yet they were thankful and happy. He told us he realized he needed to be more thankful in life. God was already shaping his heart.
Then one day, my husband had a dream.
In the dream, he was wearing a military uniform and coming out of the water after training. After that, my husband asked our son to apply to the Air Force Academy.
My son was furious.
“Dad, are you crazy?” he said. “I don’t even have the grades. Are you trying to live your dream through me? It’s too late to apply anyway.”
Still—he applied.
Out of 10,000 applicants, he was chosen to go to the panel interview. The interview was extremely hard. They asked him what he had done in the past four years. He answered with wisdom, but inside he was devastated. When he came home, he cried. He believed he had failed.
Even though he gave up, my husband and I did not stop praying. We asked God for a miracle—any way He wanted to show it.
Then we received a letter from the Governor.
Our son had made it to the last two candidates.
Even though he was not ultimately accepted, he was amazed. We were amazed too. He realized something powerful—that with God, he could go far beyond what he thought was possible.
From that moment on, he did not give up.
He gave his best in college. He consistently earned a 4.0 GPA. He received a scholarship to university. Today, he is still seeking the Lord—asking God about his life purpose and walking with Him daily.
God truly answered our prayers.
This journey reminded us of something so important: even when we, as parents, have limited ideas for our children, God does not. God always has the best plan, the best timing, and the best solution.
All glory belongs to God.
If you are looking at your child—or even yourself—and only seeing limits, pause. Pray. Trust. God’s imagination is far greater than ours, and His plans are always good.