Friday, July 17, 2009

Letting a child go... and praying she comes back.

I am at a complete crossroads in my life. My daughter is about to move away to another state with a boy she barely knows in person and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I thought that by being candid about my own past experiences that she would have seen the lessons that I learned the hard way and avoided making my same mistakes. I thought that by showing her the biblical truths that we should all be living that she would follow God and stay on the straight and narrow path. I thought that if I just loved her enough that she wouldn't go. I thought wrong. God has brought me to a very hard place and I feel completely overwhelmed. I am struggling to see His purpose through my tears of fear and frustration. My child... my first baby... is leaving on a journey that she has not invited Him to share or to guide her on. I look at her now and all I can see is the walls she has built, the doors she has closed and the people she has thrown away in order to maintain her goal of getting out of here. I don't understand... I tried so hard to make her childhood different than mine was. I made sure she KNEW without a doubt that I loved her and would continue to do so even if she wasn't perfect. I made sure she KNEW she was safe with me and her dad even when our marriage struggled. I feel as if I've failed her somehow and I can't figure it out. My heart is breaking and my eyes burn from all the tears. GOD HELP ME!!! What will she do for insurance? How will she get her epilepsy medication and her birthcontrol shots? What if she has a car accident or he turns out to be an abuser? She's going to a place where God is not the center of the household; where God is not welcome in their lives on a daily basis. If something happens to her there, I can't be "right there" to pick up the pieces. It will take me several hours to get to her - praying the entire way that I'm not too late. I have to trust in the Lord to see me through this. To bring my prodigal child back to me. She knows I love her and she also knows how very disappointed I am by her choices - not her, just her choices and attitudes. She's a beautiful girl and she's very smart. She used to be a ray of sunshine but now she brings storm clouds with her wherever she goes. "but if there's no other way; I'm done asking why, cause I'm on my knees begging You to turn to me... I'm on my knees, Father will You run to me..."