"Sweet 16"

WHY do they call it "Sweet 16"? My little girl just turned 16 in February. She is a beautiful, smart, sassy, obnoxious teenager. Not SWEET! Unless she's sleeping.
I remember the day she was born very well. She weighed in at 6lbs. 3oz. The doctors had taken her to clean her up, and they laid her on a table, tummy down. She raised her little bitty torso and head and peered around. At that moment I knew she was strong, curious, and determined. And she still is.
They proceeded to dress her and brought her to me in a warm blanket, with a little blue bow pasted to her head. I have a picture of it. She had a full head of dark hair, a little pink outfit, and a BLUE bow. Now, I asked the nurses about this. I thought maybe they had her mixed up with another mommies baby. I knew she was a girl. When I went into labor with her, I told my Grandmother before going to the hospital that only a girl could make a person as miserable as I was at the moment! The nurse informed me that they had run out of pink bows. I think that was a moment that defined part of her life! Even at birth she wasn't like the other girls in the nursery.

We had went out shopping several times in the days that followed, blue bow and all. I remember having to grit my teeth a couple of times when I told people, "She's a girl, see she's wearing pink." My mom wouldn't let me take the bow out because it was GLUED to her hair! What precious memories. She loves to hear that story.

I was not a Christian when she was born. I believed in God. That's as far as it went. I loved her, and fed her, and rocked her, and sang lullabies, and read books to her. My Grandmother used to tell me to hold her and love while she was little as much I could. That is one regret I will never have, because I followed that advise. She also told me to treasure her, and that while she was little she would walk on my feet, but when she got big she would walk on my heart. Grandma was a Christian, and she was full of wisdom. She taught me enough when she was alive to carry over into even the teen years. This was the only child of mine I was able to share with her. They were so close. When Grandma was really sick before she died, my daughter would spend hours sitting with her on her bed playing and having "conversations". She died when my girl was 2.

My girl has been raised in the church. When she was 3 the mailman used to pick her up and bring her home. She learned early on about Jesus.

Several times over the years I have heard parents say that children don't come with instructions. I have said it myself. Now I beg to differ. I have found a whole instruction manual! Complete with 66 chapters AND a guide! I just wish I had found it earlier.

Ephesians 6 1-4 says "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2. Honor your Father and Mother- which is the first commandment with a promise 3. that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. 4. Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the TRAINING and INSTRUCTION of the Lord."

There are so many verses in here that pertain to how parents should raise kids. I could fill 50 pages or more with them.

I have failed in some areas of my girls life. I failed to go to church with her early on, I failed to read the Bible with her early on, I failed to raise her in a Christian home early on. There have been several consequences for this. Children tend to do what they have seen their parents do.

I reap what I sow. I have been sowing God's word in my children's hearts for a time now. They are healing. I am healing. My girl hasn't made all the right choices lately. I didn't teach her soon enough, and now I am having to work extra hard to get her on the right track. She is making progress. I am trying hard with other Christian leaders to get her to a point of being not only a follower of Christ, but learning how to lead others there as well. It's a difficult world for our kids now days. They are laughed at by their peers for wanting to honor their parents. They are criticized for sharing their faith. The world hates them, and tries to draw them into sin.

We had her first driving lesson yesterday. My car is a stick shift. We got in, she buckled up, I prayed. Then she yelled at me that we weren't going anywhere until I buckled up. I tried to argue and tell her God had told me not to buckle up in case I needed to abandon ship quickly. I buckled my seat belt though, because those are the words I tell my kids when they get in the car. Talk about humbling.

We have reached a new dimension in our family. She has a job, more responsibility. I am learning to slowly let go. I will continue to train and instruct in the way of the Lord. However I am standing on the promise that if I train my children in the way they should go, they will not depart when they are old. It is time for me to slowly unclip her wings. I don't like it. She's my baby. But I trust my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.