Joyful Daughters

Have I told you how great my girls are? I mean, I know that people say their kids are great and everyone’s kids are special. So I tend to keep quiet about how wonderful I think mine are. But sometimes I just want to shout, “These people are amazing!”

Yesterday I took my 13 and 15 year old girls out to run errands. We all needed a few things….the 15 year old needed pajamas and the 13 year old needed sandals. I needed to go to Costco.

They just constantly amaze me. The girls are so kind to each other. Neither dominates the conversation, but they talk. Neither asks for things in the store, but they help me. In fact, when I offered to buy them each a super-cute, modest dress at Target, they were so sweet and humble. “We don’t really need them,” they’d say.

Who are you people?!

My friends, I want to encourage you to spend time with your daughters. Get to know their weaknesses and recognize their strengths. Let them know what a treasure they are to you and don’t let your fatigue and anger be your guide as to how you treat them.

Teach them to love each other and help them form trusting and lifelong relationships with each other. After all, when you’re gone, they’ll only have each other.

Loving them means you expect the highest levels of behaviors. But you forgive them when they fail, as Christ forgives you. It should not be your reaction to their failures that is their guide….it’s righteousness. They need to know what the Scriptures say about relationships.

1 Cor 12:25-26, “that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

Your children need to know and understand these verses. Help them to hold it in their hearts. They need to rejoice with each others victories, not want it for themselves. They must learn that if their brother suffers, so do they. It is God’s way. We endure each others burdens and frankly, it is an honor to suffer for a brother.

I enjoy my girls so much. They are a delight to me.

And by the way….I did get them the dresses (plus we brought one home for 12 year old sister).