There Will Never Be a More Beautiful You

Raising a teenager is not the easiest job in the universe, but just when I'm at my wit's end, she surprises me, and I have a glimpse of an absolutely remarkable young woman.
Case in point - about two weeks ago, I was crying to Don, convinced that I must be doing something wrong, because I worry about her so much. He tried to tell me that worrying about her means I'm doing something right, but I wasn't so sure. Over the next week, I noticed that her Bible was in a different place on her floor every morning. I asked her about it, and she told me she's trying to read it through - she's up to Deuteronomy. And she loves Ephesians, because "there's so much good stuff in there!"
Last night she and I argued over whether or not she should participate in a more intense Bible study/leadership training at church. I think she should; she thinks it's too much work (I hope you read that with a whine, because that's how I typed it). I wondered how on earth I was ever going to teach her how to care for and want to serve others. Later in the evening, I found out she'd gone out of her way to make two new kids at school feel welcome.
Knowing how important and influential friends can be (for better or for worse), I have tried over the past 15 years to ensure that her best friends are Christians. And yet, none of the friends she's made over the past year are. Sometimes I wonder if I've lost that battle. And then I realize that, while she never preaches, she openly talks with them about going to church - it's a part of her life, just like she'd talk about any other topic. And she's invited every one of them to go to church with her, and some of them have. It shouldn't surprise me that she does this. It's always been a part of who she is (see Oct. 6, 2008).
I am so thankful that Don and I are not raising our children alone. It's a blessing to know that God takes our feeble attempts and botched efforts and turns them into something breathtakingly beautiful.