A Teenager is Amongst Us

Samuel is 13 today. 13….. 13!

When I as pregnant with Samuel I made a list of the kind of child I prayed Samuel would be. I got the list out this morning, a list I have kept in my wallet since Feb 1998. I guess I thought if the list was always with me, I would pray for them more!

I must say that as I looked over the list I was reminded that Samuel lived his childhood years well. Not to say the boy hasn’t been in trouble many time. He has. But over all he is a good egg. (I don’t even really know what that means!)

Last night I realized that the list of prayers I had was really for his childhood and that I needed to pray different prayers for him as a teenager (it just hurts to write the word!)

My new list looks something like this:

I pray that Samuel will:

apply himself to his schoolwork.
understand the importance of studying
do his best in all situations and desire to exceed expectations
remain respectful to those in authority over him, and his elders
realize that younger children are looking to him as an example of a Christian teenager & act accordingly
remember to put Jesus first
love others. Both less fortunate and more fortunate than he is
become a man of God. One that studies to show himself approved.
love the Lord with all of his heart, his mind, his soul
pray for and seek wise counsel when choosing his life partner
seek the Lord when preparing for adulthood and a profession
be open to the Lord’s guidance and direction in his life.

And please know that these are in no particular order!

There are other things on the list, but some of them are too personal to put here. You understand, right?

Want to see the other list? Okay!
Christian at a young age, well-disciplined, happy, well-mannered, joyful, compassionate, mindful of others , friendly, friend of & to many, respectful of others and their property, kind, loving, fun, listen to God, read the Bible, desire to go to church, confident.

We are so blessed to have Samuel in our lives. His smile lights up a room. His sweet spirit melts many a heart and lifts others spirits. God has something special for him I just know it.

So, Happy Birthday Samuel! It is a joy being your mother and watching you grow into the person God wants you to be!