Growing Pains

It is so funny to me to look at the past 13 years of my life and think that they have flown by, but they have. Thirteen years ago, I was still a woman who was desperate to have a child in her home. I was struggling to understand why God had closed the doors to our having a biological child. Little did I realize what he would bring through that door just a few months later! We have never doubted how God brought our family together and we have always rejoiced in His amazing knitting together of our hearts. As the girls have moved through toddlerville to now the pre-teen/teen years, we have hit snags along the way that always cause me to hit my knees. Sometimes, the little bumps in the road are a discipline issue that I need to address or sometimes it is a deeper heart issue. Regardless, I never back away from the opportunity to help my girls come out the other side of these growing pains with full knowledge that they are loved by their parents beyond all words and that as much as we love them, God loves them more. We always tell them that there is nothing they can do or say that would make that change.

As I look back at some of the bumps we have experienced with our girls, I am reminded how quickly the little toddler turns a teen. Suddenly your struggles with potty training or sassy words seem a mute point as you are trying to find the words that will strike a cord with a young lady to be pure and honor God in all they do. At one time, we were chasing them around the house to do what needed to be done. Now we are driving them all over town to allow them to pursue their passions. I have enjoyed every season of my girls thus far. With that said, my heart is sad today.

I have been really working diligently on finding ways to reach out to my girls and their cousins in the area of purity versus popularity. Such a tough struggle in today's world. I will not go into details to keep the child at hand protected from judgement, but I will say that the innocence of my child's mind has been destroyed and that is very hard for us all to deal with . It is our job to protect them, isn't it? That was the thought I had when I found out what was going on. Yet, God reassured me that He can repay the years of the Locusts...so if that is true, I am fully confident He can restore my child's mind. I am sitting here fully aware that my child's heart is aware of the evil that is out there. She has seen it, she wept over it. It was too easy for her to find it. But I am more confident that this bump in the road has brought her to the foot of the cross. She is seeking God's answers through this and I see her heart softening in a way I had not seen before. So, I guess, I am thankful for these growing pains we are feeling right now. A momma's heart breaks for the loss of innocence, but a young girls heart is opening to God's amazing healing power and redemption. I think that is better than anything I can ever imagine. I just hate that it came to this to make that happen for her. These growing pains are proof that God can use all things to bring Glory and Honor to Him! My prayer now is that we come out the other side of this with the radiance of God from our time spent at His feet and in His Word.