No-one told me I would have to go through puberty twice. Yes. TWICE. Because when you’re a mom, you feel the things your daughters go through so here I go again with the mood swings and the drama, the tears and the insecurity, the changes and the embarrassments. But this time around I have something I didn’t have the first time. Women friends I can talk to, cry with and get advice from. Women who can speak truth to me like my friend Danna who reminded me that we don’t have to just accept the labels that hormones can post like sticky notes on our girls to make them feel bad about themselves. We can claim something MORE for them right now. We can pray out loud over them. We can look them in the eyes and say YOU are worthy. YOU are beautifully His. YOU are created in His image and created for purpose. And when we speak HIS WORDS with conviction over our children, they trust us, they believe us, they listen. When truth is spoken in a home where hurt resides, there is nowhere for pain to go but out. I’m not saying that one prayer over your child at bedtime is going to make everything instantly better but I’m telling you that that ONE prayer does plant a seed of courage and hope in your child. And by praying every night out loud over our children, no matter their age, we are modeling who and where we get our strength from. So girls AND moms. Those hormones? That puberty? It might feel like you’re on a roller coaster right now, but it’s not going to last and it’s so not who you ARE. Keep your eyes on Jesus and I promise He will guide your path and get you through it.
When I say these words to my daughter “It won’t last forever” it’s as if I’ve opened a window that was once frozen shut, and a beautiful warm breeze blows into the room. Because when life gets hard, all you want to know is that the pain you’re feeling won’t last and that something good will take it’s place.
My daughter with wide brown eyes stares at me when I speak these words.
“It WON’T always be this way and you WILL be ok.”
“But why is it so hard," she asks as her lip quivers.
“Because, you feel things deeply. You hurt deep but you also love large and that’s so GOOD! Your heart is as big as an ocean honey! And you know what? God can do amazing things with oceans. Imagine if all he had to work with was a puddle? He might get a couple of worms in a puddle. But with an ocean? He can get at least a few thousand mermaids into an ocean. How beautiful and powerful is that”
“Mermaids aren’t real mom!”
“Mermaids are totally real, I say without blinking or taking a breath.”
We giggle a little. I wipe her tears. And just like that the pain is a little less. Because pain doesn’t last forever. God promises that.
What about your hurt? This day? His cancer? Her pain? My worry? Puberty? That boy who said all those untruths? It will ALL wash away like an ocean wave, and the Lord will open a window to reveal something so new and beautiful, our knees will bend, our eyes will sparkle and our mouths will declare the Glory of the King of Kings!
Whatever you’re going through or witnessing or feeling or grieving, know that The Lord wants to turn your pain into something beautiful. If you don’t believe me, grab a neighbor and go for coffee. Ask her if she’s ever experienced something painful. Then ask how she got through it. Start the discussion.
I’m Karen Harrison and I’m surviving puberty for the second time. (Raising my coffee mug to you moms out there) oh...and my girl? She’s taking those sticky labels OFF and learning how to put The armor of God ON. Oh yeah! ;)
