Trusting God, Even with Teenagers

 I was reading Exodus 5 today.  Moses had gone to Pharaoh to ask if he would let the Israelite people go to the wilderness to have a feast. Pharaoh immediately said no and then commanded the taskmasters of the people to make them go find their own straw for making bricks. Up until now the taskmasters had provided the straw for the Israelites. So now their workload had increased and they were still required to make the same number of bricks. The foremen of the Israelites were beaten when they could not provide the same number of bricks. Moses must have felt awful because he turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people?  Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

I am right in the middle of parenting two teenage daughters and man it is HARD.  They are both great kids and usually make great choices but there are still times when I have to parent them. The hardest part is that they are mini adults(One of them is an actual adult but I’m still in denial about that.) They have their own opinions and ideas and ways they want to do things. When they were little I told them what to do and they did it. Now they make their own decisions. I can only advise and trust and pray. I pray a lot!  It’s in those moments where God has prompted me to have tough conversations with them that remind me of Moses. He was being obedient to God when he went to talk to Pharaoh but Pharaoh’s response was evil.  Sometimes what I have to say to my kids makes them mad and anyone out there with a teenage daughter knows how bad that can be.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not supposed to say it.  They may not listen and they may even be upset but just like Moses was still supposed to go to Pharaoh even though God knew he would say no(Exodus 3:19) I should still have those tough conversations.  Even though I know sometimes that means I will walk away feeling hurt and defeated. Just like God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He can use me in those moments to point my kids to Him and to draw me closer to Him. I may never see what God was doing in those situations but I can trust God to use those moments for good  

Heavenly Father, Thank you for two amazing daughters. Help me to listen when you want me to speak truth to them and give me the words like you gave Moses through Aaron. Thank you for the reminder that you have a plan even when I feel hurt and discouraged. In Jesus Name Amen.