Our son-in-law Brian has a Tesla Cybertruck. Even though I’ve never ridden in it, I’ve heard it has some remarkable features. Being able to go into “Launch Mode” is one of them. From what I’ve read (via CoPilot via Tesla Motors Club) — Launch Mode is designed to provide the fastest possible acceleration from a complete stop. . . .When activated, the system can produce extremely rapid acceleration, often exceeding 1 G of force, giving the driver a powerful, almost instantaneous launch experience.
Our two youngest granddaughters don’t quite get the full definition of launching, but they love to go fast in their daddy’s truck. To urge him on, they are known to get strapped in and start chanting, “Lunch mode, daddy! Lunch mode!”
Launch mode is the closest I can come to describing all that has gone on with our grandchildren in the past few years. Seemingly overnight, they have gone from gathering every summer for a week of Cousins Camp, with Steve and me being able to see them all in one place at one time, to scattering in all directions becoming the amazing humans God created them to be.
These photos from past Cousins Camps and Christmases make me realize how quickly kids grow up and family environments change. All the words their parents (and grandparents) have spoken to them, all the lessons they’ve heard in Sunday School and sermons from a pulpit now have the opportunity to be fleshed out. These young people are making their own choices and decisions. They are figuring out how to manage money, what it looks like to have a job, a boss, and co-workers, how painful it is to suffer the consequences of bad behavior or how rewarding it is to do the right thing. They are discerning which friends are positive influences and which are not. They are taking tests on paper and in navigating increasing freedom.
The photo above was taken Christmas of 2013. Now, here’s the situation, as of September 2026. Allie, the tallest one in the back, holding her baby sister, is now married with two sons of her own, ages 3 and 1. She and her husband Zechariah Freeborn live near Pulaski, TN in a cute house on one acre filled with flowers she has planted. The baby Allie is holding is Bethany, who is now 13 and is a great piano student. She loves cooking and helping her mom with all the chores involved in having a large family. Luke, the tall one in the red shirt, is a senior at Belmont University in Nashville. He dreams of being one of the creative people at Disney World and loves techie gadgets of all kinds. The unhappy blonde boy in the bottom and the top photos is Sam. He’s no longer unhappy. 🙂 He recently turned 15 and has his motorcycle license and his driver’s permit. He’s a natural athlete and loves Auburn football. Middle row, from left to right: Megan (striped shirt) is a senior at Model High School in Rome, GA. She is considering a career in cosmetology and loves running the light board in her school’s stage productions. Birti is a freshman at Belmont in Nashville. Her current plan is to pursue a degree in occupational therapy. She loves fashion, makeup, and dressing up in general. Penelope (red dress) is a senior in homeschool and plans to attend New St. Andrews College in Moskow, Idaho next fall. She wants to be a book editor and loves drinking coffee and hanging out with friends. Rosemary (pinkish dress) is a junior in her homeschool classes. She is getting her pilot’s license and wants to fly missionaries to remote places. She enjoys baking and often contributes yummy treats to our family gatherings. Margaret (blue hat) is currently in Japan, serving as a tutor for missionary kids in the city of Nagoya. She is an excellent pianist and loves planning and leading worship services. Nathan (horizontal stripes) is a sophomore at Mississippi State University in Starkville, pursuing a degree in international business and Spanish. He is a walking encyclopedia of sports facts of all kinds and is a huge fan of the Atlanta Braves. On the end is Seth (football helmet shirt). He is a sophomore at Auburn University majoring in business. He loves golf and has a job working at a golf course not far from campus. Do you see why I feel as if our family has been in Launch Mode? Nine with driver’s licenses, one with a motorcycle license, and one getting a pilot’s license!!! Four in college, one in Japan, and one raising babies!!! Remember, too, that five more grandchildren have been added since these photos — Silas, Enoch, Beatrix, Sarah Ruth, and John Mark — all siblings. So. Much. Prayer material.
When they were little, I constantly prayed for their health and safety and for them to grow up as the Bible described Jesus in Luke 2:52. I memorized it in the King James Version: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” The Living Bible says it like this: “So Jesus grew both tall and wise and was loved by God and man.”
God continues to hear my prayers as they get more specific for each grandchild. My deep desire is for each of them to live out their Christian faith in their college days, in their careers, and with their marriages and families. God wired each of them differently and has a perfect plan for every single one.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): ” For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I am so grateful that I have been able to watch and be a sideline cheerleader, and I will continue to pray, love, and cheer them on as long as I live.
I know I don’t get to determine the speed with which these beautiful children will grow up and leave the nest, but I would so appreciate it if Launch Mode could be deactivated. It would be nice to take a breath, slow down, and appreciate each day and each step in the future.
Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
GOD DOES HAVE A PLAN for each of them. He also has one for me. As long as I’m alive, my job is to keep carrying out the plan He established for my life.
Philippians 1:6: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
When I breathe my last breath, I’ll know my “good work” has been “completed.”
What thoughts are on your heart today?
Do you feel as if your life and the lives of those you love are in Launch Mode?
Do you recognize that you are God’s handiwork?
Are you asking Him to show you the good works that He has prepared for you to do?
Are you trusting that God has a plan and He WILL carry it to completion?
