What Encourages a Teenager?

I’ve been a mother of two teenagers for a full year now, and I’m learning as I go. Thankfully, my two teens are loving, patient, and intelligent. They are learning so much more than I did at the ages of 14 and 17, and they are far more engaged with their community, their church family, and their love for learning than I was back in the 90’s.

My Teen Years were Different

Don’t get me wrong, I do not regret my teen years or look back at a void that I want to fill or anything like that. Instead, I see such a vibrancy and passion in my two that either I’ve forgotten about since the reality of adulthood has set in or I didn’t fully explore due to the nature of my schooling, IFB background, and limited community.

I grew up in the suburbs. Maybe that’s part of it. My teens are growing up in a small town in the rural Midwest.

I grew up very inward focused. IMO, we all do, especially in the teen years. We can stay very inward focused into adulthood, and social media continues to work it’s magic to keep us that way. How to battle that one, I have yet to figure out.

My teens have a strong base here at home, and we encourage them to be kind and giving with all ages around them, from the baby in the stroller to the 102-year-old in the pew. Both individuals need to be valued and seen.

My teen years also included messages that created a lot of guilt and sometimes shame. This instilled in me a strive for perfectionism and misplaced motivations of pleasing people. Tim and I have worked very hard to live life and speak the truth that includes both the depravity of man and the incredible grace and love of God, leaving no room for guilt or perfectionism. So much more can be said here. (I’ll have to share in a future post).

True Encouragement

So, what encourages my teenagers? It’s not guilt, perfectionism, or an inward focus (at least we have made efforts to squash that motivation in their lives).

I think it’s Jesus. We are far from the poster-family, but we love Jesus. When my teens interact with a church or a group that loves Jesus, they come away full, encouraged, and inspired.

CFAW at Liberty

We visited Liberty University last April at CFAW (College for a Weekend), and my teens came away truly enlightened and inspired with what could be! The campus held a big “serving” of what our family truly values. But instead of just the five of us and a few like-minded hearts in our community, it was tens and hundreds and thousands of people, loving Jesus! Big enough to feel like you were on top of the world, and yet small enough to realize it was authentic and not just a show.

CFAW also inspired me personally. I wanted to return to my home-town with the light of Jesus. It’s hard to stay bright as life just hits you sometimes. I need to keep seeking these moments for my own faith journey!

Ascend Camp

My teens are at church camp right now, and from the pictures I can see that they are ALL IN! The camp keeps sharing daily reels of the messages and the games they are experiencing. I just wish I was a teenager again for these moments.

I’m pretty sure Ascend Camp is inspiring my teenagers yet again. Inspiring them with Jesus! And again, it’s not just the five of us and a few teens in town that love Jesus. It’s tens and hundreds of other teens praising Jesus together and learning about how to follow Him!

I’m grateful for the four adult leaders who are taking my teens to this camp. THANK YOU!! Thank you for loving on my kids. And thank you to the church family for helping fund the group so they can go to this incredible and inspiring experience. I hope all 30 teenagers walk away inspired and take one step toward Jesus.

Even one step. It will change your life!

Conclusion

So, back to my question; what encourages teens? Truth. And real truth is ONLY found in Jesus. Whether it’s Sunday morning worship, Youth group, or even Worth club, our family Living room, work, school, band, choir, or a hang-out at Dairy Queen; if Jesus is there, if He is welcome amongst the individuals in that particular group, then this encourages my teenager.

What encourages your teenager?

I’d love to hear about your story. What gets your teen pumped up? What makes them the best version of themselves? Do you still have littles who are yet to be teens; what are you looking forward to in the teen years?

I have told my friends that the teen years have been more than I could have imagined! These years are full of unexpected blessing and such fun. They are not easy years, and the conversations have challenged Tim and I in such good ways.

Seasons like the teen years call for growth and more learning! If the teenage experience has been like this, then what will it be like to have adult children!? I can’t wait! God is so good.

I try to remember, it’s not a slam dunk. Tim and I have to keep cultivating the garden of our children for the fruit to stay healthy. And it’s not just on us. God blesses with the rain and the growth. As I often tell my friends, we just keep watering them, and they keep growing!

Thank you for reading. I hope you are encouraged today!

Keep Walking Friend,

Christina