When you come to a dark valley...

Earlier tonight, my husband retweeted something Joel Osteen had tweeted earlier in the day: "When you come to a dark valley, a difficult season, don't worry. God will give you the grace and strength to get through it." We have been in a 'dark valley' for a bit now. We thought we had come through, and things were looking up...and then...WHAM...right back in the valley. There are many moment when I am not sure how ANYONE survives parenting a difficult teen. So we pray, and we pray, and we pray some more. And yet, said teen seems to be bent on not only setting herself back, but on running as far from success in her life as humanly possible. Any time we start to have success at something, we MUST (MUST MUST) do something to ruin it. I could go into details, but the details in the end don't matter. We're in the dark valley, and it's been so defeating. There are moments when I think...'Why God? We pray, and we pray, and we pray, and it never changes. It's always the same. This kid KNOWS you - at least I think she does - and...she doesn't change!' I sat tonight and thought - why do I bother? Why do I pray for this kid - why do I keep trying to help her make better decisions, to only be smacked in the face for it every time. And then a message came back to me - from a sermon not so long ago...about a book called The Circle Maker, and a character in it called Honi. I don't remember it all exactly, but the essential story is that of a man who lives in a place where they are in a deep drought, and they need rain. Honi decides to pray for rain, and he draws a circle in the ground, and says he is going to stay inside that circle and pray for rain until it happens. And it does. The essential learning, from the story, is that we need to pray boldly, and keep asking, until what we ask for is answered by God. We need to acknowledge that sometimes, God's answer is no. But I know this - God loves all of His children. He loves my child as much as He loves me. He never gave up on me, even when I ran away from Him...even when I claimed He didn't (couldn't!) exist. He waited for me. He loves my daughter that way as well, and if I am truly to say I want to be a follower of Jesus, I must love her that way as well - unceasingly. I must pray for her, as Honi prayed for rain. I must not give up, as I walk through the dark valley were defeat howls on every side. Because there is no defeat. This life is temporary - and God wants my girl as much as He wanted me. There is no defeat in God. He has already won the battle. So we will fight on. I pray for the grace and the strength to face each new challenge. I pray for the grace to help my husband face the battles, and 'refill his cup' when he is worn out. I pray he will continue to listen to God leading him in how to guide our family - something he is much better at than am I. This parenting stuff is NOT for wimps.