Mentoring from a distance.

My heart is broken.  I am sick to my stomach.

My adult life has been dedicated to helping and mentoring teenagers.  I remember moving to Kelowna and being a youth leader in a church that had a small youth and young adults group...without a youth pastor. The interesting part of that job was that I was 1-2 years older than the oldest youth in the group.  Sometimes--it was awkward.

I love teenagers.  I honestly think of all the things God created, the teenager is the best, most complex, beautiful and fragile.

I got a message from a teenager today (I know she reads my blog..Hi!), an a teenaged boy sent her a message--peppered with swear words and woman hate.  The words of the text have seared on my heart and it wasn't directed at me.

How can it make her feel?

No man, for that matter, no person should talk to another human being like that.  I am so sorry for this beautiful girl.

The saddest part for me is I know she is probably angry but now those words have been spewed at her like darts, she is possibly now, picking them off of her and she is putting them in her handbag, to carry for a long time.

I know how women think.

When I was called useless by the woman recently in Safeway, I didn't even let the dart sink in, I deflected it responded in the most gracious way I could, but there was no way I was going to accept her very inaccurate assumption of me.

So, sweet one, don't accept the words.  Don't carry them with you for a single second.  You are not any of the awful things that he said to you.  You are worthy of a man that will adore you for who you are, who will speak affirmation into you, encourage you, love you for who you are.

I am so angry....how can I undo what has been done?  And from such a distance?  If I could I would wrap my arms around you and tell you all the things that I see in you--to undo what has been done.