Dear RubyRed72,

My heart goes out to you, and I can hear the pain in your words.  I can somewhat relate to your situation, although it wasn't my daughter...it was my little sister.  Like your daughter, she left home her senior year and moved in with her dysfunctional boyfriend and his family, who were abusive.  Like you, my parents were crushed.  I heard my parents say many times that all they could do was put their hope in Proverbs 22:6 and leave the rest up to God.

It certainly is not easy to place your child in the Lord's hands when you see her making such self-destructive choices.  But, know that our Heavenly Father loves your little girl even more than you do, and His watchful eyes are on her...even at this moment.  I'll be praying that the Holy Spirit would soften her heart and lift the veil from her eyes, just as He did for my little sister.  I pray He will grant you an extra measure of strength and wisdom as you strive to keep the lines of communication open with your daughter.

RubyRed72, you could probably relate to Wendi Hayden English and her mother's story in Wild Child, Waiting Mom.  I also think you might find some hope and encouragement in the books Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter and Surviving the Prodigal Years: How to Love Your Wayward Child Without Ruining Your Own Life.  Click on the links to these books and see if they interest you.

And, you're always welcome to call one of our counselors if you'd like to talk one-on-one with someone about your situation.  They've been helpful to many others and would welcome the opportunity to come alongside you, too.

In response to your other post, you can be sure I'm praying for you, as are others at our ministry and others reading your post.  I echo jofftheheezay's encouragement to trust the Lord ~ and He will give you His peace.  Keep us posted on how your daughter is doing.

Carolyn

FOTF Forum Moderator