Random Tuesday Thought : Who are You? What can you Do?

It seems that my girls often find a time in their lives where they doubt their selves. They seem to loose who they are and begin to follow others. Thank goodness my girls often find out that being someone else is not who they want to be. My eldest daughter went through a phase where she ran around with friends, let her self be abused by a boyfriends, and lived like she was happy when she was truly not happy at all. My middle daughter recently faced a bit of this head on as well as she wanted to be liked and thought she was willing to do most anything. She has always been a strong person for just a short period of time lost herself and started to follow others. I am so happy that she was able to talk about this and get it out as it started to equally kill her. I myself faced nightmare style of teenage life and lost myself only I had no one to talk to as my parents would never have understood or even tried to notice something was wrong I feel as a mother to my teens it is my job to be there when needed and while trying to tell the how to do things right to be there to catch them when they fall.

What do you think? Is there a teen girl or boy who you could help? I recently found this poem on the blog teen beauty tips:

"Who Am I?"

Who am I?
My first answer would probably be my name.
But, my name does not describe who I am on the inside.
I could then give the title of my profession.
But that is what I do.
I could then tell you I am a wife, a sister, and a daughter.
But those are my relationships.

I ask again, who am I?

I could describe myself as an extrovert and outgoing.
That is my personality.
I am organized in planning events.
But that is a gift God has given me.
I could describe my appearance, but that is not who I am either.

So many times I have believed what others say I am.
If I receive affirmation, then I feel worthwhile.
However, when I receive criticism, then I feel like a failure.
I have chosen to ride the roller coaster of emotions,
Instead of believing the truth of what God says about me.
I have tried to work harder to prove that I am worthwhile.
Yet every time I mess up or fail, I am reminded that I will never measure up.

I will never be pretty enough or talented enough.
I will never be skinny enough or do enough good things of the church.
I will never be a good enough wife or sister or daughter.
But, I keep trying harder and harder.
I believe the lie that if I continue to try harder, I will finally be "good" enough.

One day, God gently said to me,
"Stop trying so hard to prove yourself to others.
Get your worth from me. I've already given it to you.
Remember my grace.
It's a free gift and nothing you can achieve by trying harder.

Allow that special person in your life who may struggling trying harder and harder to please, to fit in, to have friends etc.... to know that you love them and appreciate them. For it may be just your words that boost a bit of self esteem today.

Who are you? What Can You Do?

shared at momstart and the unmom