Sometimes it is hard to know what to say to my girls…about the grey areas of life.

Daily they come to my husband and I, processing through the things going on around them. Daily I am reminded that the greatest thing we can teach our girls is to learn to listen to God.

Because I have lots of answers for them, but I am not sure if any of them are right.

I want to protect them, but God might be asking them to be brave.

I want them to look and act a certain way, but God might be working some things out in their hearts, and sometimes that looks a little messier than what I want.

I want them to be real salt and light. But that requires great wisdom, and hanging with those most in need of salt and light.

I want them to effortlessly believe everything I do, and more. But I had to wrestle through so much to get to that point of belief. I am still wrestling. They are going to need to wrestle too.

These grey areas are the moments where I have to listen to God myself, because often, I don’t know what to say or do. But mostly, I need to trust that the God who leads me well, the God who has been my good shepherd…will lead them well too. He is their shepherd as well.

And yes, I tell them what I think.

And yes, we help them process through what they think.

But, at the end of the day, I am reminded that the greatest work I can do for my girls is to pray that God would show them what it looks like for Him to lead the way. Because I am not always there to help them. But our good shepherd is.

I need to help them hear his voice.

I need to hear his voice myself.

The answers, the grey areas are all just opportunities for both of us to better tune our ears, and listen well, to the good shepherd.