How Many Times Do I have To Tell You......

Recently my 11 year old has embarked on a journey to test my resolve and my intelligence any chance she gets. I think that there is a book circulated among today’s youth that is titled “Your Parents are Dummies Too” followed up by the sequel “Mom and Dad are Still Getting Dumber Every Day” . Although I am 35 my youth is still a very vivid memory to me. I can remember getting into things like my 5 year old Tina does. If there is mischief to be found, Tina can locate it a mile away and entice her 2 year old sister to get in on the action (the sibling version of Adam and Eve). When caught, it’s always AJ’s fault. I can remember playing with matches, flushing little action figures down the toilet and painting on items in the weirdest of places. Tina in a way is a mini me. If you come into my home I can showcase her art on my downstairs and upstairs walls or maybe if you’re into carvings then my couch is the place to be. I recently shelled out almost 500 bucks for a plumber to unclog my drain because Tina felt the urge to flush panties and wash cloths down the toilet. Luckily I don’t keep matches in the home. I never had these issues with Zoe at that age.

I always said that Zoe was the good one who would not give me trouble. Boy was I wrong…big time! In many ways Zoe is like me, quiet, withdrawn in new surroundings, sensitive, and very laid back. She was the best baby in the world. Once my mom trained her to sleep through the night, it was easy street. She very rarely cried, didn’t complain and I never worried when she would be watched by others because she was very respectful and obedient. She may have had a slip up here and there but they were minor offenses; things that you would laugh at when she left the room. It’s as if she turned 10 and all heck broke loose. Have you ever felt like you have exhausted all possibilities with your child or children? I feel that way with Zoe. The spirit of rebellion has made an early appearance in my home. I did not expect to deal with it on this level until the teenage years, I guess that’s why I have been caught so off guard. In the beginning she would get in trouble due to boredom. She would be home bored and start getting into things. I can understand that, I used to do the same thing. I once almost set our house on fire by setting fire to a roll of paper towels as they hung on the wall (sorry mom, this is the first time you’re hearing about this). I was about 11 and I now look back at God’s love and mercy allowing me to put that fire out. I would do things that my mom would tell me not to do that I would do anyway like eating in her bed. I tried to keep her occupied to keep her from getting in trouble, but lately Zoe has gotten bold or at least she thinks so. She has not been able to use her laptop in a while. I can’t remember the offense, they all start to blur after a while but they usually fall under the category of lying or sneaking. I caught her on her laptop in her room under the covers this weekend. I was stunned because I could not imagine that someone this young could display such boldness.

Her father was summoned to get her not only for my mental health but for her safety and well being as well. I spent the weekend questioning how this could be that such disrespect and deceitfulness is displayed at such an early age. Is this payback for my youth? I am perplexed and at my wits end. I’m sure that I am not alone in this and that many other parents both married and single share in my struggle. I am working to nip this in the bud now for I know that left unchecked it will only get worse. Now after sneaking on the computer the tv came out of her room and the laptop too. Guess what, she was caught sneaking watching tv a couple of days later. I turned the tv on when I got home and the Disney channel was on. I don’t watch Disney and my little ones were the last to watch Nick Jr. Zoe must have forgotten the prayer her grandmother (my mom ) prayed with her a couple of years ago. She prayed that anything that Zoe does that she has no business doing be exposed. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that prayer doesn’t work. All of Zoe’s misdeeds are exposed it may not always be right away but the truth is always revealed. I remind her of the prayer but like most things it’s in one ear and out the next.

I have a daily frustration with her however I also have hope for I know that God can change all things. He can change them instantly but then there are no lessons learned, no spiritual muscles are exercised, and there is no spiritual growth. The Psalms are filled with David’s testimony on how God not only heard his prayers but answered them. I have faith that God will answer my prayers concerning Zoe. I look forward to her adult years, not for the obvious reasons but to see how God works this all out. Sometimes when faced with difficult situations, rather than get upset or depressed I decided to get excited, excited to see how God was going to show Himself and work a situation out. I haven’t done that lately but it is something that I need to get back into. Please pray for my strength and wisdom to identify exactly what it is I am dealing with here so that I will be better equipped to handle it. For James 1:5 says, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.



Peace & Love
Michele


Until next time....Wednesday, March 10th!



Thursday's Blog: Esther-Marie, our resident “Foreign Correspondent”