Praying for Prodigals

Yesterday was a long day at work. My back is still feeling pretty good. Nowhere near the pain that I struggled with for nearly a year. It bothers me just a little ... really, nowhere near as bad as it was... and mostly in the late afternoon. Now my tummy... that's something different... once I eat, my belly starts giving me trouble... so I'm fairly uncomfortable in the afternoon. I feel so much stronger but my strength sort of wanes in the afternoon. It's like... by the end of the day... I'm ready to go home.

I got home yesterday and Austin had completely cleaned the kitchen... I'm talking about organized cabinets... did the dishes... changed the litter box... scrubbed our white counters (who puts in white counters?) until they were white again. Everything was picture perfect. AND... he had cooked a pork loin AND made rice and cleaned up from cooking. Dinner was ready the second I walked in the door.

We were out of cat food, though, so I had to make a run into town... that's when I really ran out of steam. I went into Helen, to the Dollar General there... and it's up a flight of stairs. My legs felt like lead weights going up those stairs. Some bozo parked right behind my car rather than pull into a parking place... saved them about ten steps... and I had a "mommy look" for them that got them to move. How dare they delay me any further?

Anyways... Austin can be highly motivated... and then this morning... he's refusing to go to school. Sixth day of this semester and this is the second day he has missed. I argued with him but I don't have the strength of body or spirit to compel him to do what he doesn't want to do. If you pray, please pray that he will understand how important it is to be consistent in anything and everything he does. Every day for me is a struggle but I go...

I fear that he has found his way back to that "element" that led him astray before. Because he has no filter to know that there are things he shouldn't tell me... he confided that he was looking to partake in some activities that are illegal and inappropriate. I had given him money to go out with friends for lunch and a movie... but he reported that the movie started around 10:30. Obviously... there are no movies that start that early in the day... especially on a Monday, even if it is a holiday. I know that he's being shady... and I imagine that the clean kitchen was a guilt offering.

I know that a lot of my friends... both in real life and my blogger babes here... struggle from time to time with their grown and nearly grown children. I'm going to commit to praying for these children. It's a different world for them than what we grew up in. Morals have changed. Opportunities have changed... it used to be a guarantee that if you went to college, that degree guaranteed you a decent paying job... now there is much more uncertainty. I know it's a difficult time, this transition from dependent child to independent adult. Pray for mine and I'll pray for yours... comment here or on my link on facebook... or private message me the name of your child in transition and I'll commit to praying for all of these on a daily basis. They have so much stacked against them. My heart is just so heavy for these kids.

This passage is from Ecclesiastes 12

 ¹ Remember your Creator 
   in the days of your youth, 
before the days of trouble come 
   and the years approach when you will say, 
   “I find no pleasure in them”— 

I really enjoy the book of Ecclesiastes. It has so much wisdom in it. I also love reading a Proverbs a day - you can read the one that corresponds with the day of the month. I'm doing a study in James - Beth Moore's study - and it's fascinating to see a book I've read dozens of times in a different way. I've been reading from Oswald Chambers writings every morning. I'm cramming a lot in, so it would seem, in the way of Bible Study but I feel like I've wasted a lot of time and I have a lot of catching up to do. Simply stopping the computer games gave me a lot of free time to focus on these things. It's amazing how much difference it makes when you immerse yourself in study.

Time for me to glam and study a bit and get ready for work. Have a great Tuesday, y'all.