It hasn’t happened in a few years. Mostly because of the current ages of my girls. But there was a day when we would all traipse into a grocery store, or Walmart, or something like that and they would trail behind me somewhat in age order. Inevitably, while I was putting 1 or 2 of them in the shopping cart and giving instructions to the others to stay close, someone would say to me over the tops of their heads, “Are all these girls yours?” I would usually smile and say, “Yes, they are.” At this point the stranger among us would go into great detail about how hard it is to raise girls and how they couldn’t imagine having four.
Right in front of my girls.
I would like to tell you that this only happened once or twice. Or that I didn’t have to bite my tongue every time it happened because I had a thing or two I’d like to have said. That simply isn’t the case. Truthfully, being a mom of four daughters has drawn a certain attention to my life that I didn’t expect and probably haven’t navigated perfectly. Even after more than 24 years of being a girl mom, I have much to learn.
One valuable lesson I have learned is that prayer is not an option. Maybe it is because I clearly see my lack, or maybe it is because I love them so very much. I simply know that I need to partner with God on this journey. And prayer, for most of my life, has been a lifeline to me. It has been the way I have held onto God, especially when I didn’t know what else to do.
And let’s face it, how many of us really know what to do in the teen years? I remember hearing once that your teen girl looks and sounds a lot like she did when she was a toddler. I’ve spent much of the past few years thinking, “Oh yeah, this does look familiar.” During those weary toddler years I spent a lot of time sitting on the floor playing with dolls and reading books with my girls. And you know what I did back then? I prayed. The only difference now is that when I’m on the floor today it isn’t while holding an American Girl Doll or Good Night Moon. I am cradling my Bible and asking God to do what only he can do in the lives of my four girls.
Praying for Teen Girls: Partnering with God for the Heart of Your Daughter comes out of this place of often feeling like I don’t know what to do a mom of teen girls and how to help my girls navigate this crazy world. It’s the book I wish I had 12 years ago when my oldest daughter became a teenager. If I had it back then, I would have written all over the margins and spilled gallons of coffee on it, dog-eared it and tear-soaked it. I would have gifted it to all my friends.
So I wrote it for you, but also for me. Because I still have teen girls in my house, too.
Here is what I’m suggesting: let’s pray for our teen girls. Let’s gather our courage as moms (grandma’s, aunts, or mentors) and grab onto the hem of the Lord’s garment with all we have and pray. Let’s stop trying to figure it all out and, instead, let it all out at the feet of the One who has the power to not only change our girls, but our hearts as well.
I’m ready. Are you?
xo,
Stacey
P.S. You can pre-order Praying for Teen Girls wherever you buy books. If you want to read the first chapter, click here to find out more.
P.P.S. Do you have teen boys? My friend Brooke McGlothlin has you covered! Click here to find out more.
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