On Growth and Maturity

Something of great magnitude in the Kingdom of God occurred this past Sunday. My 13 year old daughter, Alix, was baptized. I'm sure there was great rejoicing in heaven as there was on the second pew where we were sitting. Several weeks ago, Alix called me from her week long camp at Kentucky Christian College and told me that she had made the decision to be baptized. I was ecstatic and told her that following Jesus was the most important decision she would ever make in her life. Realizing that this girl, my middle child, is not comfortable expressing her feelings, it meant a great deal to me that she called me to share this news. While I've always attempted to make it easy and comfortable for her to talk with me about her feelings and concerns, she just doesn't. This has caused me to trust God more with our relationship. I've had to realize that just because she's not like me, spilling my guts to anyone who cares, doesn't mean there is something wrong with her! As a matter of fact, maybe she's a little smarter than I am.

Over the last few years, I've watched this sweet girl mature into a beautiful, young teen. Deep down, I believe she has a great love for God and wants to do the right things, but she is more quiet about it. Isn't it so wonderful that God loves us all, as different as we are? Alix is extremely social with her friends, well-liked...yet private about many things. She is not one to volunteer information, but if I ask her a question, she has learned to willingly answer. This has been a process for her because she at one time felt that she didn't have to tell me certain things. However, through a series of events, she learned that in order to have trust, you can't have secrets or hide the truth. She's learned that she gains more freedom when she is open and doesn't hide things from her parents.

On a purely physical matter, she has made great strides in her choice of clothing. Last night, she and I had an "aha" moment. On the way home from cheerleading practice, Alix was complaining about the shirt the cheerleaders were required to wear to school the next day. "Mom, I don't want to wear that shirt. It's not fitted; it's a baggy t-shirt." "Oh, really? Hmmm...Alix, do you remember two years ago when you were in 6th grade? You would only wear baggy t-shirts! We bought you all these cute shirts, and you'd come out of your room with these ugly sports t-shirts you got for free from gymnastic's meets." She grinned sheepishly as I jarred her memory of those hideous shirts. I remember how I finally gave up the battle of the clothes, resigned to let her look like a slob. At least that's how I viewed it; she was comfortable with her choices. I made a choice that this battle of the wills was not worth it. As she entered junior high, she began to make different decisions about her clothes, deciding that she cared about how she looked and discarded the old t-shirts for bedtime pajamas! My, how she has grown over these past few years.

Yes, she is growing up. I continue to pray that she makes wise choices in the future about how she lives her life and that she roots herself deep in Christ so that she can stand firm no matter what comes her way!