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~ What's the Point? ~
(Our Rebellious Teens)
Point - I did it better than my parents.
Point - You did it better than your parents.
Point - Teens do not care about points. It makes no difference
if you are the perfect parent. Adults get no recognition for
whatever part they did right. In fact, because the teen feels
controlled, they do not see that anyone else did anything right.
They want to stop being treated like a child (even if they are
acting like one). They want the freedom to make their own
mistakes and they do not care that adults view their actions as
mistakes. They want their choices to be respected because it is
their choice, as one would respect choices of other adults,
without trying to fix them. After all, they are almost 18 and
are sick of being treated as anything less.
Point - In as much as we would like to help our 'almost adults'
make adulthood choices, amidst their period of regression (where
they are behaving more like a 12 year old), the power to control
their destiny is not ours. There comes a point wherein the only
option left is to let go and let God finish raising them. And in
making the transition from parent to friend, we discover our own
need for growth; thereby realizing God is not finished raising
us, either.
Point - Once we acknowledge that our need to control is a result
of fear for our children's future, consider that fear does not
come from God, remember that we were once 'almost adults', too,
and realize that God used our immaturity to grow us into a better
person ... perhaps, then, we can trust God to protect them from
irreversible harm and know He will be there to pick up the pieces
for our children, too.
® 2004 by Joyce C. Lock
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About the Author:
Joyce C. Lock founded and maintains the email ministries
"Heavenly Inspirations"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavenlyInspirations/ and
"Share a Smile"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smilesharing/ .
She also has a published e-book, "The Difference",
which can be purchased here:
http://www.theeaglesgarden.com/
