And repercussions.
Having teenaged kids is hard. Like I’d rather go to med school than deal with teenage issues hard. Lately, our resident teen has been particularly difficult.
I honestly feel as though this kid should take up a career in acting because he’s had his dad and I snowed for months. You know how they say, “the mirror has two faces”? Well, his mirror has at least five and a personality to go with each one.
And we just shattered all of his mirrors. After issues over the summer, the hubs and I ridiculously thought we’d gotten over the hump of teenage drama and would have much smoother sailing ahead. Out of nowhere, category five hurricane winds hit and knocks us right on our faces.
Busting my kid for sheer idiocy does not make me happy. Calling him on his outlandishly insane lies does not thrill me. Pointing out the absolutely dumb behaviors he’s taken up is not fun for me. But, it was painfully necessary.
And now, I am left with a stone faced statue who refuses to speak to anyone in the house. All because he got busted once again doing incredibly idiotic things. Yep, I’d rather to sign up for medical school and deal with that.
We are not uber strict parents. We allow our kids privileges like tech and sleepovers and random treats. We don’t generally say no. And while I expect a healthy level of rebellion, this kid took it to a new level.
Despite our best efforts and examples, somewhere he took a sharp left and veered into the forest of worldly longing. He’s become focused on wants and the ways of the world rather than what he knows is right. It hurts my heart as his mom to see him toss away what he’s been taught and shown.
Tough, and I mean tough, love was dispensed with firm resolve and it made my stomach hurt. I tossed and turned feeling like a true mom failure. As I lay awake, watching the ceiling fan whirl, that small voice of God whispered that it’ll be alright. It’s typically when I’m beating myself up the worst that I hear Him whisper to me.
Just as He forgives our crazy antics, I forgive my teens crazy antics. Just as He loves us regardless of our mistakes, I love my teen regardless of his. And just as He keeps poking at us and talking to us when we stubbornly give Him the cold shoulder, I’ll keep annoyingly speaking to and poking at my teen. At least in that there’s some enjoyment.
