{"id":47,"date":"2012-09-05T00:42:52","date_gmt":"2012-09-05T04:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gingerwarner.net\/?p=47"},"modified":"2019-06-25T16:51:47","modified_gmt":"2019-06-25T20:51:47","slug":"a-letter-to-my-teenage-niece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gingerwarner.net\/?p=47","title":{"rendered":"A letter to my teenage niece……"},"content":{"rendered":"

When my brother’s oldest daughter, Bailey,\u00a0turned 13, they had special party\u00a0to celebrate her transition from child to young woman.\u00a0 Bailey invited women in her life to a blessing ceremony.\u00a0 They were not to bring gifts\u00a0but words\u00a0that would be a blessing to Bailey\u00a0….wisdom\u00a0that she could use as she moved into adulthood.\u00a0<\/strong> I was very honored to be asked to attend and\u00a0very disappointed\u00a0that I couldn’t make the party as it was in Texas.\u00a0 I sent a letter for\u00a0my brother to read to her.\u00a0 With\u00a0Bailey’s permission, I am publishing it here.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

May all of our lives be a testament to Love.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Bailey,<\/p>\n

It doesn’t seem that long ago that I received a package in the mail here in Raleigh.\u00a0 It was a video tape from your parents.\u00a0 You had just been born a\u00a0few weeks earlier and as I had not yet seen you,\u00a0they sent me a video (an old-fashioned DVD) documenting your “activities”.\u00a0\u00a0I took it to work and showed it to my friends.\u00a0 I was\u00a0already\u00a0proud of you.\u00a0\u00a0It doesn’t seem possible that\u00a0we should be\u00a0“here” now\u00a0– with you on the brink of claiming the\u00a0title of young woman.<\/p>\n

Your\u00a0next few years will go by quickly and\u00a0will be filled with changes….high school, dating, college!…..and opportunities.\u00a0 You are a precious girl with a soft heart – you have already shown an interest in helping others with your sign language- and you\u00a0will\u00a0find, even at your young age, you have a lot to offer others.\u00a0 You will also find that the friends that you have and make over these next few years will be friends the rest of your life.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0you and your friends\u00a0acquire more freedom to make your own\u00a0decisions, you\u00a0may see people\u00a0make thoughtless choices.\u00a0 (We all make some!)\u00a0 Sometimes they will be choices that affect their relationship with their parents and the trust they had built with them;\u00a0 sometimes they will be unwise choices that affect their education;\u00a0 occasionally, you will see someone make a choice that has far-reaching effects on their young lives.\u00a0 Regardless of the mistake, there is always a path back to God<\/strong> <\/em>and it may be God\u2019s love they see in you,\u00a0Bailey,\u00a0that helps them see that.<\/p>\n

My guess is you may also find yourself in situations when you feel you\u2019re the only clear head in the room.\u00a0 That happened to all of us, too.\u00a0 Pray for wisdom and God will give it to you!\u00a0<\/strong> <\/em>Don\u2019t be afraid when you are the only one who can s<\/em>ee the danger in \u00a0unwise choices.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid to stand up for yourself and for your faith.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid to do the right thing even when it is unpopular.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be rewarded for your wisdom.<\/p>\n

If I\u00a0with you at your party\u00a0today, I would encourage you to remember these three things:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Who you are.\u00a0 More than anything else, I want you to know that you have everything you need to fulfill the purpose God has for your life.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You are loved by parents who couldn\u2019t love you more, a family that thinks you hung the moon, and by\u00a0your\u00a0Creator\u00a0who loves you more than we are capable of ourselves.\u00a0 And He tells you-<\/p>\n