Sweet 16
Today is Hannah’s 16th birthday!
Wow, time flies.
16 is a big milestone.
She is officially eligible to get her driver’s permit today. This is a bit scary for Leanne and me.
She is in her middle teens. She is definitely moving into young adulthood. She’s taking more responsibility. She’s starting to look at colleges and to consider career aspirations.
And she is taking responsibility for her own faith.
To Leanne and I, it seems impossible we are already at this milestone. We will always think of her as the little girl with the bobbed haircut who takes charge bossing her brother around and organizing backyard circuses and afternoon teas for her friends. It seems like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital in her car seat or taking her to her first day of preschool or watching her climb on the school bus for her first day of kindergarten.
This is my prayer for Hannah on her 16th birthday.
Dear God, Thank you for Hannah. Thank you for the amazing gift you have given me in my daughter. Thank you for the honor and responsibility of raising her. God, I pray you will continue to work in Hannah’s life in a mighty way. Help her to continue to grow in beauty – inside and out – in the years ahead. More importantly, I pray that you will guide and protect her as she gets older. Thank you for her heart to serve others and to honor You. Use her in a mighty way. I know you have big plans for her. Help me to do my part in preparing her for the future, and help me to know how and when to let go at just the right time so she can continue to grow and serve. I pray she will keep Your Word in her heart. I pray she’ll surround herself with positive influences and that she’ll continue to look out for the needs of others. Thank you for these 16 years.
What do you remember about turning 16?
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