As a mother, I would sit and think about the things I wanted for you. When you were little I prayed for you to be healthy and happy.
I prayed you would make good choices, although you did not always since God gave you free will. I prayed as you got older that you would choose your friends wisely, again you did not always, but you learned the importance along the journey. I prayed for you to do well in school, to find jobs and to learn to complete tasks. You may not know but I prayed for you to find a man that loves Jesus and will treat you like a princess all the days of your life on earth.
I started praying most of these things over you before you were even born. It may seem a little crazy some of the things I prayed as I held you in my arms so tiny and helpless but I knew even then that in a blink, I would not be able to make decisions for you. I knew that you would be making decisions and in turn living with the consequences although your consequences not only hurt you sometimes they hurt others too. My prayer was for the least amount of those learning consequences as possible.
If I could go back in time I have thought about the things I would tell you to make going into adulthood an easier transition, however, I do not think anything can really prepare you for it. I know though that I would go back and tell you that you do not have to be someone’s friend. I would tell you it is okay to walk away sometimes (unless you are married). I would tell you next to Jesus family should be your number one priority and ministry, I apologize for not always modeling that. I would tell you that people around you do not have your best interest at heart. They want to mold you and shape you into what they want you to be and will go to great lengths to push their views, morals and even religious rhetoric on you. I would tell you that things you want in life are not free. If you want new shoes, a car, etc. It will cost you, or someone else.
I would tell you God made you be girls, that is what you are supposed to be. God does not make mistakes. He created you to have every strength and weakness that you possess. He wanted you to have a tender heart. He created every little detail about you from your dreams, your hobbies, and even your style. Be you and love those things because you truly love them not because you hang out with someone that does. Be the best you, you can be. God made you unique and being a woman is a gift.
The very biggest thing that I would tell you…and I cannot emphasize this enough, never settle for any man. Never, ever under any circumstances marry someone that doesn’t love Jesus and is not afraid to show it, share it and live it. Our churches across America are filled with women who did not make that a priority. Listen carefully as we have seen this in our own family…you cannot change someone’s heart and if someone wants yours bad enough they will tell you what you want to hear. The man should be the spiritual leader of the home. Do you know what it takes to be a Godly leader? It takes someone that loves that you enough that they want to spend eternity with you. It takes a man that knows the importance of Christian community, getting their family to church and praying with them. Going to church does not make you a Christian…this statement is truer than true, however, I think if a man truly loves Jesus he will want to be at church learning God’s word and making sure his family learns. It will be a priority over the beach, the movies or sleeping in. You might think those men are impossible to find…they are not they are just rare gems and you deserve the very best.
Daughters in my current years my focus for you is changing. Naturally, as your mom, I want you to be healthy and happy but my top focus is for you to avoid counterfeit relationships of many kinds. Please, I beg you don’t settle. Never for a moment, not even a second think you can change a man and get them where they are supposed to be spiritually, this is a heart issue all the love in the world from you cannot fix. That is just the enemy trying to get you where he wants you. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are a lot of good men out there that love their wife and take care of their family, have good morals and so on…but again, God, myself and your father want the absolute best for you and God’s best is someone that follows him. We often want to look at things through our own lenses and we have to remember to look through God’s.
Daughters as you follow Jesus in your own walk and pursue knowing his heart for yourself he will reveal his plans for you. God will reveal the right person for you, just make sure you are listening to God as the enemy will send counterfeits to you as well. Do you know what a counterfeit is worth? It is worth absolutely nothing and certainly not God’s best. I have loved you each of you from the moment I knew you were growing inside me. There is a saying that says, “you are the only one that knows what my heartbeat sounds like from the inside”, this is true and know that my heartbeat has always been and will always be for God’s very best for you in relationships…people are the only thing we can spend forever with.
Until Next Time…
robynstroup 
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