Gifts wrapped in prayer for an almost sixteen year old

 Hunger

Amazement

 You

 D

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I think I'll address you directly

Dear Hayden,

Dear YOU,

I've spent countless hours telling you what to say and what not to say. "Do this", "try not to......".   I've tried to refine your character when it probably seemed more like I was trying to redefine or change you.

But I want you to know, that I pray God will grant you a love for "you" just as you are.  I've taught you all that is important to me, as mothers do, counting it a privilege to invest in your life.  You have been filled with ideas, traditions and beliefs that I hold dear; many I pray you will hold dear too.

But God didn't intend for you to be a miniature version or a mixture of me and your dad.  You're a blueprint all your own.  And you weren't designed by your dad or me, but by a master designer.  That should give you great confidence to be who you were designed to be.

I lovingly remember your second grade school picture.  You had a cute blue checked button-up shirt that we both agreed you should wear.  Our disagreement came to the undershirt.  For several years you insisted on wearing a white t-shirt under all of your shirts.  On picture day, the only clean white shirt had an iron-on picture of you holding up a fish you had caught.

You wanted your shirt unbuttoned. I wanted the image of you hidden; safely buttoned up- and I told you to keep your shirt buttoned.  When the bell rang signaling the school day's end, you emerged from school with your shirt buttoned; good boy!

It was only when the picture package came home in your backpack that I pulled out your pictures. There you were with a smile as big as Texas with your shirt unbuttoned revealing your image on your bright white shirt.  Busted!

I don't know why I was so intent on making you keep your shirt buttoned.  Truthfully, that's the one school picture that is impressed upon my memory.

For so many years I've hemmed you in.  But I know you're a creation not to be tampered with.  I want people to see you as you are; the you that showed up on picture day. -The "you" fully revealed.

I want you to see you as you are; a most loyal guy.

You're someone with a great sense of humor like the water trick you pulled on Rylie.

You're the sweet kid that puts his arm around me at church telling me that you're glad I'm your mom.

You're the one that made me smile when you made up a secret handshake with the little girl who was following you.

You gave a bible to the kid at school who said he didn't believe in God; the kid with no friends.  You ripped out the book of Revelations so you wouldn't "scare" him off.

I've yet to know someone who can be more engaging than you can be, though there are times I watch you sit back and fade in a crowd. That's part of who you are too.

I could sit and listen to you for hours, and I wish now that I'd spent much more time doing just that.

In tough times and when you're not feeling successful I pray that you will remain thankful for how God designed you and that you'll be assured that you're enough.  In better times, I hope that you'll give God credit and glory for plans he has for you.

Be you

Bea-u-tiful You!