Some Days

Parenting teenagers is a lot harder than I realized it would be.  It's hard to know when to give them space or when to step in and intervene.  My approach thus far has been to pray A LOT.  I ask God for wisdom for each situation.  There have been times when I have been able to just sit back and watch my teens navigate the waters for themselves.  At times I have been pleasantly surprised by the way they handle themselves and the decisions they make.  Of course there are also times that their decisions show that they do not completely understand the big picture of life yet.  There are also times when I have stepped in and helped them by taking the decision out of their hands.  Deciding for them.  Either way I am left wondering did I do the right thing?  Am I sheltering them too much from life and the consequences they must learn?  Am I protecting them from something that they are far too young to understand?  Am I allowing them too many freedoms that they are not yet ready for?  Are they learning the important lessons they will need to navigate this difficult life?  Am I doing everything I can to help them grow into the person that God wants them to be? Most days are filled with questions along these lines.  BUT, some days I catch a glimpse of what they are learning during this diffucult stage of life.  Some days I see a sigh of relief when the decision is out of their hands.  Some days I see them relax inside the boundaries that I have put up for them.  Some days I hear them reason out their decisions using things that I have spoken into their lives. Some days I see the values they have been taught show in the actions that they take.  THOSE are the days that keep me going thinking maybe, just maybe, they are going to be ok.