Thanks for friends

This is the letter I sent out to those who donated to M's summer project.

"It’s the day before Melody is due to leave for Summer Beach Project. She is going out tonight for a while, saying goodbye to friends. It seems hardest, don’t you think, when you are the first to leave? Everyone else seems to be having fun, yet you must go.

God leads us sometimes this way. We must go places when we don’t like the timing, or maybe where we don’t even want to go. I really didn’t want Melody to “grow up” and fly away from home. I have to admit my own weakness here and say part of that came from wondering if I’d done “enough” as her parent. Did I teach her how to live on her own correctly? Did I teach her how to navigate relationships properly? Will she know how to express herself without my guidance? Yes, as you can tell from my words, I had to learn the lesson (and I still am learning it) that my “control” of my daughters is really not my “control.” God has a plan for them, just as He did for me.

I told Melody today that my main prayer for her is this: that she would grow in her desire to know Him this summer. I pray that she finds friends to help her in this endeavor. Growing in faith doesn’t necessarily mean acting a certain way, but it will result in more humility in realizing what He has done for us, and how much we don’t deserve it. I pray that she finds a place to worship, as our home at Riverwood Presbyterian Church is the only one she’s known and we love it there. I pray that she would also learn how to say “no” sometimes. She and I both have trouble with that.

I can’t express to you how thankful I am for your help in her summer effort. I’ve known this for some time, but my children are so impacted by my friends. Yes, they learn to think like their own friends when they are younger. Yet, they also listen and “catch” some of what my own friends teach, as well. She has certainly blossomed into a careful thinker through the influence of many, and you have been one of those that have helped influence her. You have now blessed us with your donation, and I am so grateful for you.

I’m encouraging her to keep a blog, or an email thread, to keep us apprised of her weekly happenings. Hopefully she will do this, and if she does, I will pass it along to you. Thank you again for your meaningful gift. It means the world to us."