The Alarm

Having my own slight bout of anxiety attacks a few years back I am now better prepared to reason out these episodes with my daughter. I know part of the trigger is stress and let me tell you in some ways I am certain a 15 year old girl has more stress than I do. At the same time in all reality this time of her life should be so happy and free. It is so sad to see her in such straits and then hearing it is somewhat epidemic out there makes me think more about it all.

In my heart I truly believe it is a spiritual battle. God is rattling her cage and she refuses to even think of her need to know God in her life. It is doubly sad for me because I always raised her with a faith element and while I wasn't a regular church goer I tried to go as often as possible and to take her every time, many times she refused, but she did go and hear the Gospel enough in my opinion. And I tried to teach Christian values at every opportunity. While I was unequally yoked to a non believer at least her mother had her baptized as a baby even though I know that is more for the parent than for the child who must take that step of faith on their own volition.

Another aspect of her trouble is her diet. I am thankful she is health conscious but the pressure teenagers put on themselves nowadays is terrible. And what is even more amazing is just how many teenagers are really fat too. I wonder if they go through all the garbage the thin ones go through to maintain their slimness. But there are other factors at work against their proper dieting. Like hypo-glycemia, thyroid, and the always near sedentary lifestyles from being unable to just go out and play safely outside any more, all these challenges make it more difficult for the parents and the children to get control over the aspects that should be most easy to control. There really has to be extra emphasis on diet and exercise and the children have to take it as seriously as if their future body and state of mind depend on it, because mind body and soul are all connected and must remain in balance. Try teaching that to a teen ager.