Thirteen

Today we met with some of our pre-teens.  This year we have fifteen girls who are 13 years old.  Do you remember being 13?  What kinds of things did you think about, worry about, when you were 13?  What had your life been like up until then?  What decisions did you face?  What did the next few years look like?   

Imagine being 13, and you’ve had a fight with your dad.  “I’m running away from home!” you shout.  What would he do?  For most of us, our fathers would sit down and talk with us about what was going on.  Or, call in mom to handle it!  Most of us were blessed to have parents who cared about our well-being.  They weren’t perfect, but they tried to show us love, even tough love which says no sometimes. 

Imagine now, a different ending.  You see, when you threaten to leave home, your dad may yell a bit, but in the end, he shrugs and lets you leave. 

And, there’s another guy.  This guy lives not too far from you.  He’s 23 years old and has his own place and a moto and a blackberry.  He's been telling you how pretty you are.  How he wants you to come and stay with him.  It will be good, he promises.  I love you.  So, you leave your parents and start to live with the other man.

Your mom comes to visit later in the week to see what your new home looks like.  Your dad stops by once.  Neither asks you to come home.   The man, who is now your ‘husband’, isn’t always nice to you, but this is where you live now.  Remember, you are 13.

The sad fact is, this isn’t pretend.  This is a possibility for the precious girls we met with today.  Oh, we need your prayers! 

On the one hand, they really are little girls.  They started giggling when Daisy asked about boys – and got really flustered when she asked if they’d started their periods yet! 

On the other hand, they are maturing and being noticed.  Not just by boys with crushes, but by men in the 20’s.  Their parents love them, but since most had their kids at a very young age, they never really learned how to be adults. 

So, when a thirteen year old leaves home and moves in with a man in his 20’s, the parents shrug and let her stay.  (This really happened, and that little girl is now about to have a baby).

We want these little ones to have the time to grow up and learn more about God’s good and perfect plans for their lives.  We want them to have dreams, and not be manipulated by men promising things.  We want them to have a safe place to come and ask questions, learn and share, and be cherished. 

As I said, we ask you to be praying for us!  Pray that the Holy Spirit gives us His wisdom and discernment as we teach about God’s love for them.  Please pray that our words would always point them to Jesus Christ, who loves them and came to transform them into daughters of our Heavenly Father. 

Please pray that we would have His love and strength and perseverance as we minister to these precious 13 year olds, as well as to our other groups.  In ourselves, we can do nothing, but we know we are not alone.  Thank you, friends, for lifting us up!