Quote from Forum Archives on November 28, 2003, 2:56 pm

Posted by: davidrenewright <davidrenewright@...>

Peter,

I spent more time than I care to think on handling like issues with my
children over the years and the salient medicine in all of their trials has
been the constant application of love.

We would love to jump in and fix all of their hurts and blunders, but time
after time, the Lord has stopped me from meddling. I know your pain and I,
too, have a little girl that isn't doing exactly as I would want.

My test of faith is to place her in God's hands. Tough to do when I am a
chronic fixer! She is hanging with some kids that are partying and drinking
off and on.

Your young ones suicide attempt is more serious than a beer now and then,
but both can damage her in a lot of ways.

I don't give advice for the simple reason that God made all of these kids
differently. That being said, I would be inclined to seek out counseling in
the Christian circles you are in rather than the secular. A lot of weird
information is being passed by none christian ones. My son's drug counselor
is currently doing prison time for molestation.

Anyway, Peter, the long and the short of all this is your trust and faith in
Jesus. As with James my son, I do not know if he will live or die young,
but I DO know that he resides firmly in the fathers hand. I will pray for
her, you and your wife and the other kids.

Hang in there!

David
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Sharp" <psharp@au1.ibm.com>
To: <churchbass@welovegod.org>
Sent: Friday, November 28, 2003 11:17 AM
Subject: [CB] {Prayer} For my daughter

>
>
>
>
> All my CB family,
> Please pray for my daughter Megan (18). She's just completed her final
> school year, but in the process of doing all that amazing hard work to
gain
> awards in Art, Studio Art (photography) and Textiles, she has decided to
> assimilate into the very worldly art scene. Apart from virtually turning
> her back on church & youth group, she has also been through depressive
> episodes & big mood swings lately - not a first, but her steadiness &
> dedication to achieving excellent results this last year belied the fact
> that her intentions all along have been far removed from her actions.
> She's been singing in the worship team up until about a month ago, but has
> decided instead to adopt a lifestyle of loose morals, drinking, smoking &
> who knows what else. While we love her no less, we've let her know that
> her self-destructive & rebellious behaviour is unacceptable & has put
> everyone in our home on edge, & particularly makes her older sister &
> younger brother uncomfortable.
>
> Last Friday, while we were all home, Megan cut her wrist with a razor.
She
> scared us all, including herself - no life-threatening injuries, but my
> wife & I spent until 3am with her in Emergency waiting to be stitched up &
> interviewed by a Psych Services counsellor. She's still in denial of the
> fact that her actions & choices in any way affect & hurt those around her,
> giving no thought or consideration seemingly of anyone but herself. Megan
> gave her heart to the Lord over 7 years ago, but it all seems irrelevant
to
> her right now, or at least when challenged she says she hasn't turned her
> back on all her Christian beliefs, she just sadly thinks she can choose
> those which she'll follow & ignore the rest. Makes me question right now
> the genuineness of that first commitment, but I know this artistic genius
> has such an awesome future & purpose in God! Practically speaking, we've
> been instructed to keep Megan under 24x7 monitoring. Which means one or
> other of us has to be with her at all times. Doesn't mean she can't go
> anywhere, just not alone. She's feeling stifled, but she's learning the
> hard way about consequences, and until there's an adequate diagnosis,
which
> may (probably will) include medication of some sort, we've all got to live
> with them. My wife Glenda still has a couple of weeks until end of school
> year (she's doing a Diploma in Community Welfare - is that ironic or
> what?!) so some days I have to work from home, since Megan has finished
> school.
>
> On Thursday she had a psychiatrist appointment. Since Glenda wasn't in
> there we don't know all that was said, but Megan's short version was
> basically, "I'm a square peg in a round hole," & she's been advised to
seek
> to leave the 'hole'. We did expect (& had said as much to Megan) that her
> leaving would be inevitable given her reluctance to live by our standards,
> but one issue that's glaringly obvious to us, at least, is her personal
> safety. We don't feel safe for her to 'let her loose' while she has
> demonstrated unresolved suicidal tendencies. We don't know (& haven't
been
> told) if any of those issues were addressed by the psychiatrist. She is
on
> medication which, at this early stage, seems to help keep her moods more
> even, but when a whole year of fairly even behaviour & mood can regress to
> the events of the past few weeks, our level of comfort needs a LOT more
> assurance.
>
> Still, only yesterday Megan finally received a steady job offer at a
> 'beauty parlour' (doing waxing, tanning, etc) where she's been trialling
> for a few weeks, & she also got her first offer into a Fine Arts course -
> at Ballarat University for next year, but she's hanging out to hear from
> RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) before accepting anything.
> One of the clients also asked Megan to make her wedding dress, & the boss
> has also asked to make all the staff matching singlet-tops so they have a
> suitable uniform - all money in the bank & terrific confidence boost! So,
> things are falling into place for her to go & pursue her dreams - but at
> what cost, I ask? Life at home would definitely be more peaceful without
> Megan's moods & - dare I say - bitchiness at times, but she's still my
> little girl & she's a heartbreaker right now. Will it take a time in the
> 'big, bad world' for her to discover that all is not greener? Will she
> come home pregnant & with nowhere else to go? (One thing that has been
> decided by the Dr is that her going on the pill a couple of months ago
> seems to have been a trigger for Megan's depression. She's been off the
> pill again & some steadiness restored, & at least she recognises that her
&
> the pill just don't go together. But she won't agree to stay out of
> relationships...).
>
> Lord, restore the joy of her salvation, that she might seek - & find - her
> first Love again.
>
> Thank you for your prayers & God bless,
> Peter Sharp
> Ballarat Australia
>
>
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