Fifteen and Searching

Laura's Drawing

My fifteen year old drew this from a picture she saw this past weekend.  Fifteen can be such a tough age.  Who she is now is not necessarily who she will be in five years.   Right now I love that she is getting back her love of drawing.  She will be starting violin lessons soon.  She is beautiful and fun and has her own unique style.  

I pray for her often.  I feel that this is such a dangerous age.  So many teenagers make life impacting decisions at this age.  I have found that my best way to handle all the fears and doubts that come to my mind is to pray.  I place my girl... All of my girls... In Jesus's hands daily.  The Holy Spirit can do a much begtter job of working on my daughter's heart than I can.  

My daughter is searching.  She is at an age where she needs to decide what she believes and why.  She is at an age where she must make her faith her own, and not her mom's or Dad's.  She sees how other teenagers live, and she wants to figure out what the Lord wants her to do and if He is a good God. She has been taught and raised in church and prayed wiling and over and baptized.  Now, she must be given the space to figure it out. 

This is the scariest time for me as a mom.  The child could walk away from all she knows.  Yes, she still is immersed in cthe Word of God daily.  She is still in church. But she is thinking ahead... To college.  She is thinking ahead to careers.  She is planning her future in her mind and heart and daydreams, and I want Jesus to be at the foundation.  I pray because she could see things differently.  

We discuss things, but she is more of a quiet soul.  She goes along with stuff because she not one prone to drama.  Will her decisions now change who God has planned for her to become?

God is working on me in a number of areas.  One of those areas has been to lower my stress level and build others up.  It is very difficult to build up others if I am stressed out.  I have realized that being stressed causes health issues in me and, due to anxiety, I don't act all that great at times with my daughters. 

And my daughters are amazing!  I doubt that they believe so, because I have had too many stressful years!

Encourage your children!  Let them know you are proud of them.  The days pass very quickly!