It's not a love letter but it is.

Sami, my 12 year old daughter and I have a journal that we write in daily to each other back and forth. Yesterday the writing she left me just broke my heart. As I read her entry she proceeded to tell me how much she dislikes school, begging me to pull her out and home school her. She is tired of the picking on and the bulling that happens day in and day out. Why? Because she will not conform to the others who think they know what is best, in and cool. WOW!!!!! If only I was able to stand strong on my convictions at that age, actually I don't even think I had convictions at that age.

We actually talked about her journal entry, prayed together and I let her know I would set up a meeting with the teacher and the two of us. Apparently there is a group of kids that seem to pick on the others and it has been going on for sometime. Sami is the first one to step up and actually say something and this has stirred the group into getting very angry. On the other hand the teachers are proud of her and so am I. She is a fighter and knows what is right and wrong and is tired of this behavior. It is foolishness and needs to be stopped.

If there is one thing I have learned is that I just need to listen and through that she does find the answers with in herself. There is wisdom in allowing someone to speak the truth and that is all she needed to do. Her dad also sat her down and asked her to share the positive that had gone on at school as well and she was able to do just that. We have also learned that in a 12 year olds world when one thing goes wrong it means everything is wrong and running away seems like the only solution until they are allowed to talk it out.

Which brings us to this morning. She came to me as I was getting dressed and asked if she could read me this letter that she wrote to a friend of hers who just happens to be a boy. Now, yesterday afternoon this young man had come to my mind and I spent time just praying and thanking God for him in our lives. He is one of those kids who has a strong personality, he says what he means and means what he says, there is no hidden agenda with what he does and he wears his heart on his sleeve, he is an awesome young man. He is strong in his faith and isn't' afraid to stand for what he believes in, he too fights for what is right and I love him like he was my own. Anyway, my daughter came to me and read a letter that she had wrote to him which brought tears to my eyes. It wasn't a love letter but it was, a letter from my heart of a friend to another. She was writing him to thank him for always listening to her, understanding her and being there for her. She poured her heart out on this paper and what I heard over and over was hope, she found hope this morning where yesterday she was hopeless. This young man is Jesus with skin on for my daughter who is struggling to hold tight to what she believes in even when the odds are against her. He is Jesus with skin on when those around her our shouting change, change, change, he is telling her she is beautiful just the way she is.

Proverbs 12:26 (NLT)
The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.

Thank you David and Chris for teaching this boy to be a man!!!!!

We love you guys so very much.

"Running my race in a lane called "Grace".

Cris Nole