Don't be afraid, for I am with you

One of my favorite verses. And one of the hardest to remember. 

We are going through a hard time with our youngest teenager right now. It's normal, as in he's going through the regular bursts of anger, seeing where he fits in as a freshman in high school, and testing to see how far he can be disrespectful in our household. And it's unique because he's dealing with missing his father who lives far away and resentful that his stepdad is the one who is filling his father's role. 

The past few days have been terrible. But God takes times like these and makes things new. My son went to new levels in his disrespect, leaving my husband and me raw in our frustration. What do you do when your child is old enough and big enough that you can't rein him in? 

You trust on God. You gather wisdom from God. And you trust that the lessons you gave your son as he grew will stay with him. 

My husband and I did not act for a full day. We weren't sure what to do. I could think of a million ways I could get revenge on my son, that was how angry I was. But I could think of no way to encourage him to not turn against us, and to see we were actually on his side. 

God worked through him, and probably faster because we weren't yelling at him. My son texted me yesterday from the nurse's office. He was overwhelmed. He was on the verge of a panic attack.

He needed help. 

I left work immediately, taking the rest of the day off. And we went for a drive. During that drive, I let him talk about everything that has been plaguing him. And he admitted he was sorry. He was still angry. But he was sorry to react the way he's been. He said he hadn't been himself. 

Last night, my husband and I sat down and talked with my son as a family, and we came to peaceful agreements on how we are all to treat one another. 

And on a side note, my husband and I are planning to fly my son out to see his dad for a week. It's been a year and a half since he's seen him. I'm hoping this will help. 

In times of worry, or in times when I feel like the world (or just my teenagers!) are against me, this verse tells me that God is still with me. He's always there to lean on, to offer wisdom, to give comfort, and to help me through the difficulty. I never have to go through it alone. 

Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness. Thank you for never leaving me to handle the hard things on my own. Thank you for working through us, because without you, we'd make a royal mess of everything. I love you. Amen.