Setting Up Camp

 There's that overly used saying, "It takes a village."

Well, as I navigate raising three 17 -year-olds and an almost-20 year-old in college, the village is more like a small camp. I'm not talking cult-like camps. I'm talking a small gathering of tents with occupants who sit by the fire and listen and pray.

This is not literal.

I don't like to camp. (Camp fire smell in my hair. Ew.)

This is just the terminology with which I came up. 

Teenagers don't like anyone in their business. Especially mom and dad. If you're fortunate, they will invite you into their business because they know you will pray for them. They also hope you will give them direction. And they often want you to tell them everything will go just the way they want it and you will also tell them to do what they want to do even if they know it is not what they should do.

Did you follow that trail through the woods?

I have teenage girls. Three of the four of them are rather forthcoming with what is happening in their world. Another is Miss Shrug Her Shoulders. I often get an "eh"when I ask "how are things?"

I have to read her body language and her tone to get an idea what is happening in her life. I don't find out details necessarily, but I can tell when there is a smoke signal lit for SOS. 

My go-to method has and always will be prayer. Constant, intentional prayer without ceasing. 

Sometimes, I have to call in the troops...er...the campers.

Without going into massive details, I have folks I text and ask to pray. I don't divulge my teen's deepest fears or every miniscule fact. Depending on the kid, I know what other specific adults in her life care deeply enough about her to pray for her. The girls do no know who these folks have been. Some have shifted over the years as their roles in the girls' lives have shifted. Some have been constant. 

And the adult praying for child one may not get prayer requests for child two and three and four. Or whatever. There are people God has placed in my daughters' lives who I see breathing life into them. Sunday school teachers. Coaches. Aunts. Grandparents. Mom friends. Youth leaders. 

They are the people who tend to get the "will you support me?" mail for fundraisers and missions opportunities. They may get asked to write reference letters or to make recommendations in our daughters' favor.

They are invested. I have been that person for a number of young people over the years. Many of them have grown up and gotten married and now have children of their own. And a couple of those "kids" have mentored my kids. 

Today I was especially thankful for my camp for one of my kids. She was overwhelmed with a decision. She was leaning toward fear and unknowns. She was not really keen on my encouragement or my husband's. So we both prayed. And I called on a very small number of campers. By the end of the day, I knew each one of them lifted her to the throne. And when I least expected it, she had made a decision.

The greatest part of this was not only the support of the people she did not know was praying. God had sent a crew of her peers to encourage her as we prayed. Those young people helped her to see her capabilities. 

Thank God for those who "camp out" with us.

If you don't have camper people, ask God to find them for you. He will answer. 

 And kids, if you're reading this, don't ever be afraid or embarrassed that your mom asks someone else to go to the throne on your behalf. No one needs to know all the "tea" in your life. It sure is nice, though, when someone is willing to pour out a request for courage, hope, safety or love on your behalf.