The Sweetest Mother's Day Gift!

Dear son,

I know you struggle to like everything about yourself these days. I know it’s hard lingering on the cusp of becoming a man. I know you wish you had a different body, one that was built bigger and looked older. I know you don’t feel like you’re tall enough, strong enough, or popular enough. I know you feel like you can’t keep up with the fast-moving, ever-changing social circles, and you’re not exactly sure where you fit in. I know you worry if you’ll ever pass over that threshold of manhood so many of your friends already have crossed.

It’s a tough time for you right now. This in-between place where you’re not a kid, but you’re not quite a man. And waiting for things to change can be agonizing.

RELATED: To My Son As He Becomes a Teen

This grey shade on your timeline sometimes feels like you’re stuck, just looking for the colors to come.

I know.

But I want you to understand something . . . 

God’s not done with you yet.

Where you are right now might be difficult to understand and accept, but God created you to grow at His perfect pace in His perfect time. Although you want to be so much further along than you are and you wish for things to be different, I already see you maturing into the man God designed you to be.

You may not feel like you are transforming into that man, but it is happening already. I see every detail coming to fruition when I look at you, when I watch you do the things you do and choose the things you choose.

I notice your face thinning, your shoulders broadening, your eyes shifting, your stature lifting into a handsome, strong young man.

I notice your choices in friends that reflect your character and the values you boldly uphold. 

I notice your compassionate heart when you serve the homeless every week, their prayer requests taped to your bathroom mirror to remind you to pray for them. 

I notice how kind and respectful you are to others, how you always tune in to other people’s needs and respond accordingly. 

I notice your maturity and wisdom when you manage so many responsibilities well. 

RELATED: So God Made Teenagers

I notice God’s light shining brightly within you, beaming growth and goodness you just don’t see.

But I do.

I notice it all, dear son.

All of these things I see are the character traits of a Godly man.

He is doing a great work in you.

So be patient with these growing pains.

God’s not done with you yet.

There is so much going on inside that body of yours right now. There’s even more going on inside that precious heart of yours, too.

Oh, dear son, you are changing faster than you know.

Allow all of these intricate details of who are to emerge in your own unique and extraordinary way.

Be patient, sweet son.

RELATED: Even As I’m Letting Go, You’ll Always Be My Little Boy

God is still molding and sculpting you into the man He designed you to be.

And all good things take time.

God’s not done with you yet.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

May you know that full well.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 138:14 NIV).

This book has been a go-to for our boys as they transition into young men. We thought yours might like it, too! Is he too busy to sit and read? No sweat. He can listen to it here, on Audible.

Recommendations in this post contain affiliate links. Her View From Home may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase.

So God Made a Grandmother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Order Now!

Christine Carter

Christine Carter writes at TheMomCafe.com, where she hopes to encourage mothers everywhere through her humor, inspiration, and faith. Her work is published on several various online publications and she is the author of "Help and Hope While You're Healing: A woman's guide toward wellness while recovering from injury, surgery, or illness." and “Follow Jesus: A Christian Teen’s Guide to Navigating the Online World.” Both books sold on Amazon.

Soon There Will Be No More Breakfasts To Make

In: Grown Children, Motherhood, Teen
Ten boy eating breakfast at kitchen counter

T-minus 44 days until a new beginning- Math has never been my strong suit or my favorite subject, but it will be about 19 years spent rising and trying to shine in our house. Nineteen years of prepping one, two, or all three of our sons to get up and ready for school. Nineteen years of making breakfast. Nineteen years of making lunches. For those of you in the thick of it right now, you know exactly what I mean. I think my husband Steve and I have it down to a science now. If we had to do it...

Keep Reading

She’s 13 and Figuring Life Out

In: Teen
Young teen girl smiling lying face down on grass

We’re in the teen years now. The years that were always way off in the future. Those times that seemed like decades away, that other parents were dealing with. Seasoned parents who knew what they were doing. And I would too, once I got there. If I’d been a parent long enough to have a 13-year-old, I must be experienced enough to understand it, right? It didn’t take quite as long as I’d thought to arrive here. Newborn struggles and sleepless nights seemed like they’d go on forever, but then she learned to walk and talk, went to school, and...

Keep Reading

One Day I’ll Miss These Drives To and From School

In: Teen
High school student walking in to front doors, photo from car

I am at the school for the third or fourth time today. I have honestly lost track of how many times I’ve made the drive to the high school. As a first-time high school mom, every day feels new. I watch my child hop out of the car, say “I love you,” give me a little wave, and walk into that building. Some days I do not see him again for 12 or 13 hours, and he is loving every minute of the activities, the friends, and the high school experience. I cannot help but feel proud, excited, and heartbroken...

Keep Reading

The Little Girl I Knew Is Becoming a Young Woman

In: Teen
Tween girl smiling and standing in staircase

I didn’t realize becoming a teenager would be such a huge step in her life. Now, as we approach another year, I find myself looking back in awe. The last year brought so much growth for my firstborn. I wonder if she even realized it. Her independence has flourished, and her desires continue to shift for the better. She still needs me, but more from the sidelines now. She looks for reassurance, guidance, and a steady presence rather than constant hands-on help. It’s that tender stage where being “little” is still missed, yet growing up brings a new kind of...

Keep Reading

We Delayed Giving Our Teen a Phone; It Was Worth It

In: Kids, Teen, Tween
Teen with phone sitting on swing

We made a decision early on not to give our kids phones or smart watches when most of their friends got them. By ages 10 or 11, nearly everyone else had group chats, direct access to friends, and constant digital connection. Our kids did not. That choice came with a cost, especially for me. When I would reach out to other parents about plans, the response was often, “Have him text so-and-so.” Except he couldn’t. And then I would see photos of groups of kids hanging out, sometimes including his friends, and he wasn’t there. I began to wonder what...

Keep Reading

Time Is All We Have with our Kids

In: Motherhood, Teen
Photographer taking a photo of a teen boy outside

A few weeks ago, I made a mistake no mother of a teenage driver wants to make: I watched from the window as my son drove away without his cell phone. He was halfway down the road, carefree and oblivious to my panic, when I realized my favorite tracking app was useless. In a split second, I realized the control I thought I had was gone. In an attempt to calm myself, I remembered two things: 1. He was a good driver; and 2. He was just going to the gas station. While debating whether to jump in the car...

Keep Reading

Mothering a Middle School Daughter Is New

In: Motherhood, Teen, Tween
Teen wading into water

My daughter and I went swimming today. A hobby that has always bonded the two of us, our shared love of water has been a constant since she was a toddler. But not so much lately. My daughter just started middle school, and although she seems to like it, she comes home every day completely worn out. All she wants to do after hours is watch videos on her phone and play on her backyard trampoline. Swimming with me? Not so much. And it’s not just swimming. Lately, our mother/daughter shopping trips and Dairy Queen visits have turned into solo...

Keep Reading

My Teenage Daughter became My Best Friend

In: Motherhood, Teen
Happy mom and teen girl bonding and laughing, sitting on sofa at home, enjoying time together at free time

I don’t know how it happened or even when it happened, but it definitely happened. When my daughter was born, most of the other kids in the family were nearing their teen years, so there were no cousins to play with and no brothers or sisters. What was I to do? I played. I sat on the floor and played anything she asked. I went outside and played anything she asked. I was her best friend. I played hide and seek, doctor, baby dolls, restaurant, and grocery store. I pretended to be horses, cats, and dogs. I slept on the...

Keep Reading

When Holding Space Feels Hard: What to Do When Your Teen Pulls Away

In: Teen
Teen with hood pulled up, side view

You know the look. That mix of distance and defiance behind your teen’s eyes. One moment, they’re snuggling next to you on the couch; the next, you’re met with a slammed door and silence. As a parent coach and long-time educator, I wrote Parenting in the Third Stage because almost every parent I meet asks me the same aching question: “How do I stay connected with my teen when they’re constantly pulling away?” Here’s what I want you to know—really know: Your teen doesn’t hate you. They’re not broken. And you’re not failing. What you’re seeing is part of a...

Keep Reading

I Can’t Remember My Kids When They Were Little

In: Motherhood, Teen
Mom, dad, and teenage son and daughter posing on front porch

I’m 42… or 43? Honestly, I can’t even remember sometimes. Life goes by so fast, and yet at the same time, it drags on so slowly. I have two kids. My daughter is just two weeks shy of 16, and my son is 13. So I’m in the throes of motherhood, trying my best to survive raising two teenagers. As sad as this is to admit, I can’t really remember what it was like when they were little. From babies to toddlers, I have so many pictures of them, but when I look at those photos, it feels like another...

Keep Reading