They Grow Up So Fast

I think I'm starting to catch a very small glimpse of what parents feel as they see their kids grow up. I know I've mentioned this before, but I have a group of 7th grade girls I've been tracking with since they started the 6th grade and will follow all the way through high school. For the most part I would say the past year and a half has been seeing the girls get to know and trust each other, as well as my co-leader and I. It's definitely a process. Tonight at our Christmas party, I feel like the Lord was doing everything but writing it on the wall as to why these relationships with these girls are so important. It was kind of a fun moment actually, but everything in me was wishing that it wasn't happening the day of our Christmas party. Tonight one of our sweet girls let us know that she currently has her first boyfriend. Aww, so fun but OH DEAR! Being a girl and one of her leaders, I of course had a million questions to ask her about this new boy and what this junior high relationship looks like. Just from what I've seen so far, dating in junior high is FAR different than it was when I was in junior high...much more intense. With this being the first boyfriend experience of the small group, and then also the fact that it was during our Christmas party, I decided to ease my way into the million question interrogation of boy and relationship. I started with the simple fun questions of asking how it happened and then worked my way into the embarrassing questions. I don't think she's happy with me right now for asking all these questions...especially when I quietly asked if they've held hands yet. Let's be honest, this is important stuff to know! Anyway, as I was driving home tonight I was thinking about my past dating experiences. I couldn't help but just thank the Lord for saving me from so much during my junior high and high school years...even college really. Even though during that time frame I would've probably very quickly voiced how frustrated I was by the lack of boyfriend, I can now see how the Lord just saved my heart from so much stuff. That's so much of what I want for my girls! I want for them to be able to look back and see how the Lord protected them and walked them through different life stages like dating. I realized tonight that there's so much that I want to talk to them about and teach them. I know that in the dating and life arena I don't have much wisdom, but I'm so excited about sharing my life with these girls and telling them what the Lord has taught me thus far. I think this small group is in for quite the ride over the next five years and I can't wait!