Dear Girlie,

Happy 16^th Birthday!

First things first.

Now that we let you get a second ear piercing for your birthday, we’re officially in the “cool parents” club. Right?

Who am I kidding?? We’ll never qualify as “cool” parents (or is it “lit” parents now?), will we? To clarify,  we will still be asking you to put away your phone, clean your room, and stand up straighter. And, yes, dada will still be showing up to pick you up from parties at 10 p.m. sharp. He will, very likely, do that till you’re 35. Consider yourself warned.

You may be 16, but you’re still our baby girl. Hopefully—and you can pray—your overprotective parents will slowly start loosening their grip on you. But, yeah, the key word there is slowly.

(Thank you for being patient with our parental panic attacks.)

Truth is, you don’t give us much to worry about. You break the mold of what sixteen-year-olds are “supposed” to be like. I love that you choose to be sensible in a world that celebrates recklessness. I love that you choose to speak graciously in a culture that glorifies crass.  I love that you choose modesty in a climate of outrageous. You and your brother make parenting a joy (well, most of the time!).

Speaking of joy, where would we be without your entertaining updates about the new kid at school who thinks he’s God’s gift to mankind? Or your out-of-breath chatter about the teacher who is intent on giving everyone C’s? Or the drama that’s unfolding between two teens who have blocked each other on Instagram? Admittedly, our lives would be very vanilla without you. So, thank you for bringing the multi-colored sprinkles.

You put your whole heart into what you do—whether that’s a 1500 Star Wars jigsaw puzzle, handcrafting custom gifts for your grandma,  or running the Zoom service for church.

I don’t say this often, but God sees your quiet, unobtrusive faith. He sees when you quietly depend on Him when things feel hard and when you whisper thanks when things are good. Yours is not a faith that announces itself. But it’s a steady faith that weaves itself into the rhythm of everyday life.

As you skirt the edge of adulthood, decisions and questions stretch on ahead of you. But remember, you don’t do this alone. Your dad and I aren’t going anywhere in a hurry. In fact, we’re going to creepily lurk around the corner no matter where you are. But, more importantly, you have the One who promised never to leave you. So, depend on Him as you navigate this journey. It won’t be a trouble-free life. God didn’t promise that. In fact, Jesus says that you will face trouble. But He also reminds you: “Take heart. I have overcome the world.”

Life is stressful—even when you’re 16. Don’t let anyone dismiss your fears. If they are important to you, they are important to God. So, talk to Him about it. He’ll untangle the threads and weave them into a beautiful tapestry.

You have so much to look forward to. As they say, adventure awaits. But don’t run ahead of yourself. Walk slowly. Live rooted. Know who you are in Christ. Know your worth in Him.

And above all, live loved. Because you are loved. More than you can ever know.

With all my love,
Mama

 

 

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