Love is.....Teenagers

Love is…..Teenagers

“Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me….” Psalm 25:7

With Valentine’s Day upon us, I am giving a lot of thought to love….particularly as it relates to my children who are in the throes of their teenage years.  My son turned 16 last week and I have experienced a myriad of emotions as I watched him drive independently out of the driveway for the first time.  My eyes are teary even now as I think about the fact that my “job” as a parent is fast coming to an end.  My influence in his life, although not obsolete yet, is certainly not what it was when he was four, or five, or even twelve.  I want him to know, now more than ever, how much he is loved and how very proud we are of the man he is becoming; however, I have to be much more creative about how I express that to him as his “teenage”ness” will only tolerate so much of that. 

My daughter is 14, and her desire for independence manifests itself almost daily through her apparent disgust for my opinions and ideas.  However, she is still willing to curl up beside me on the couch to watch TV or ask me to fix her hair before she heads out with her friends.  With one foot on the side of childhood and the other stepping into adulthood, she is obviously really not comfortable in either place right now.  That is such a difficult transition to make and most of us remember it all too well. 

The Psalm scripture, although written in the context of the Lord’s love for us, speaks volumes to me at this time in my life.  For, honestly, on those days when the kids are completely overridden with rebellion for our guidance, I have to remind myself to love them all the more.  Unconditional love is not a feeling…..it is an action.  It is “remembering” all of the good in the middle of the bad.  It is seeing the potential in the midst of the failure. And it is staying the course when everything in you wants to throw up your hands and say “I quit!”  I am challenged during this season of love to see my kids as God sees them….not in the “sins of their youth and rebellious ways” but in “accordance with my love” for them.  When I look at them through that lens….there is no greater blessing on Earth than being a mom  - even to teenagers.