Parents Empowered?

Several years ago our local grocery store had their sacks printed with a logo that said something about the family that ate dinner together would not have children who drank alcohol or something to that effect. The timing for me was terrible to be getting these sacks because I thought we have had family dinner almost every night, we always required our kids to be home for it, and we had a son who drank and more. How dare they put that on my sacks!
Still today as I watch the parents empowered commercials or see their billboards I have to smile that yes I was involved, I did most of the items they recommend and I still had a son who rebelled. For years I struggled over the thought that I must of failed somewhere. We had Family Home Evening, family scripture study and family prayer most of the time. Maybe if we would of never missed Kevin wouldn't of taken that path. Isn't that what we are promised? As I would encounter families who had all 12(?) of their children serve missions and marry in the temple, I would wonder what did I do wrong? Stories were told about parents of wayward children praying and fasting and miraculously their children straightened up their lives. Why weren't my prayers being answered? Slowly and surely I have learned the true meaning of Agency. I thought I understood it, but not until now have I truly embraced it. Yes our chances are increased to have all of our children follow our teachings if we are involved in their lives, eat dinner together, read scriptures and pray as a family, BUT we all have to choose for ourselves. We fought for that right in the preexistence and we have to respect that right here. Heavenly Father has to recognize our agency so he cannot force His will on us either. Sometimes I just have to hate agency. Then I realize what an incredible gift it is. Tonight I am thankful for agency. How grateful I am that I can choose my path for myself. How healing it is to know that I taught my children the right way to live and now it is their time to choose. They know what is right and wrong. I don't have to feel guilty. I made mistakes, numerous of them, but I did the best I could. For those of you who have all your children following the gospel path, I commend you. For those of you who join me and do not, I pray for you and hope that you can realize that each and every one of us has the right to choose. No matter how faithful anyone is they cannot remove or reduce someone else's agency. They are not choosing a contrary path because of something you did or did not do. Understanding agency is a gift, it was part of the plan, a necessary part. Embrace it.