Surviving the Storms of Adolescence

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Luke 8:23-25 Jesus and his disciples are sailing to their next destination, when disaster strikes.

As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

It seemed like a routine sailing

For more than a dozen years you have parented this child, and it feels like you have seen it all. There have been ups and downs, and there is no struggle that is new under the sun. Your child is just your child – and you have adapted.

A sudden squall and great danger

The unexpected happens. Not only is there conflict, but you no longer even recognize your child. Not surprising, because adulthood has begun, and your baby is no longer a child at all. In the midst of this growing up, there is sometimes huge difficulty.

Panic, and beliefs go out the window

Unexpected behaviors, situations and hormones consume your growing child – and overwhelm your ability to rationalize, and cope. Panic. Parents sometimes believe all is lost; game over. Epic fail.

Where is your faith?

This moment in parenting is when you most need your faith. This is where the rubber meets the road! You have to hang on to the fact that you have trained your child is the way they should go, and have faith that they will not depart from it when they are old.

Arrive safely at the shore

God’s promise is that you will arrive at the shore. The crisis will end, and God’s plan for your child’s life WILL come to pass. The Lord controls nature, the wind and waves. Certainly he can control the squall within your child, and work his purposes. His plan for your child was made with the assumptions that this squall would occur – he already knew it would happen. Only the parents are surprised – not God.

Parents sometimes face a difficult time in the storm of adolescence, and their child is unrecognizable due to impending adulthood. This passage urges you to have faith! Don’t give up hope, because all is not lost. The Lord knew in advance this would happen, although He doesn’t necessarily approve of the choices people make from their own free will. But the Lord has made us a promise; Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

We WILL see the shore. We WILL arrive on the shore safely. No adolescent storm, not matter how dangerous, can thwart the Lord’s plans.

God’s promises are true EVEN WHEN THERE IS A SHIPWRECK. In Acts we read about Paul being shipwrecked. He was in a ship and in danger too, and he STILL completed God’s plan for his life. Paul recognized that even though he did not expect the shipwreck, the Lord already knew it would happen. Paul tried to explain the situation to the others in the ship;

Acts 27:25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.

Adolescent storms happen, and sometimes they can result in a major shipwreck. Keep up your courage, parents! When they are old, they will not depart from your teaching, and it WILL happen the way the Lord has promised.

Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, “Helping parents homeschool through high school.” She has a new free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”. You can sign up for her free email homeschool newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper. Get homeschool transcript help with her Total Transcript Solution. Get comprehensive homeschool support as a member of her Gold Care Club.