The lovely chicka above is our youngest daughter, Janae. She is almost 16. Our oldest was 14 when she was born. Honestly, the parenting skills that we thought we had honed with the first 4 were challenged to the limit with her over the years. It all started when, as a baby, she stubbornly refused to go to bed without a scene. This strong will and determination resulted in hundreds of interactions that make us smile, now. Like the time I had to spank her (again) for disobedience and she came sniffling into our room asking in her little girl voice, "Do you think it would help...if we called...'Dr. Phil''? Or, when she was upset with me for making her get into her car seat to make yet another trip to the high school to pick up a sibling. With paper and crayons poised, she defiantly asked, "How do you spell...'I don't love you, Cyndi.'"
I think because she has struggled against the flow, she has developed a tender heart toward others who are doing the same. Whether it's a gecko struggling to get out of a spider web, a stray kitten fighting to find a way out of the garage, or a friend battling the consequences of bad choices, Janae shows up to help.
Meet Brandon. He was the kid in school that never seemed to care. At least on the outside. He was introduced to drugs at age 10. His mother died way too young. He has a half brother he has met only once and several step siblings. He is a super star video gamer but doesn't like books. There's more but I think you get the picture.
Janae got a different picture though. She found him to be a good friend, who was kind to her and easy to talk to.
Janae decided Brandon just needed to meet God. She told him God loved him and that he should come to church. He told her "No, thanks," but commented that she had a light in her that kinda baffled him. One day, the light won out and he showed up at youth group. The kids accepted him immediately and invited him to an end of school bash on the following Friday. He came again. The evangelist made an invitation. Brandon accepted. He attended church camp and made further commitments.
In the last couple of months, we have seen God faithfully at work in Brandon's life. The first book he ever kept in his room was the Bible he was given. He has been reading it. He has had questions. Good ones. He has felt guilty for doing things that before would have barely stirred his conscience. He has respected our very strict parameters around his friendship with Janae. He invited his whole family to come to church with him. They came. He has done yard work for us a couple of times and worked hard and thoroughly. We were impressed! And this week, he is going to start meeting with Carl for discipleship.
Obviously, this is early on in the sanctification process. But God is great and good and we are asking Him to complete what He has begun in this young man's life. Will you pray for him and for his dad, Bill and step mom, Christine? I am having coffee with Christine tomorrow. I don't know where that will lead, but I am praying that I will be able to reflect the kind of Light to her that Janae has to Brandon.
In Matt. 5:16, Jesus exhorts us to let our lights shine before men that they may see our good works, resulting in praise to the Father. I think that at times I am so fearful of the dark places in the world that my light is barely visible there. Janae has challenged me to "let my little light shine."
