Wednesday, May 23, 2012

for my girl, upon graduation

yes, another sunrise picture. i can't help it.
and yes, it's my brother's.
you called me that time
because
your dad wanted you to
and i could tell
that your carefully constructed world of
control
was chinked and threatening to crumble
when you called me that time
i already knew
that anorexia
had the
real
control
but i still wasn't ready
with anything except
i understand
now
you stand
in cap and gown
ready
because the rest of life
rises like the sun
you are my girl
my spiritual daughter
i love you
and
i'm proud of you
for recovery
for graduation
for clinging to christ
you called me that time
and
i'm so glad you did

mentoring my girl has been rewarding, to say the least. how about you? what are your experiences with mentoring?

linking with -

emily for imperfect prose
jen for god bumps
joy for life:unmasked

17 comments:

  1. celebrating with you for your daughter in the Spirit :) praying Jesus continues to loose her bonds and keep her feet firmly on freedom's path.

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  2. congratulations to your precious girl. God is faithful!

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  3. I love women who have spiritual daughters. It's so biblical! Congratulations to her and blessings to you.

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  4. If I was capable of crying I probably would. This means so much to me and so do you. I can never thank you enough and I love you more than words can express!

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  5. I mentor women of all ages who struggle with alcohol addiction. By incorporating sponsorship into my recovery program, I have been able to stay sober a few years. Then, when a situation arose in my own family that I did not have any experience with, nor any idea where to turn, a community member with that struggle stepped up and took my family member under her guidance, out of love and obedience. My family member is now on a very good path. I am a firm believer in mentoring as a way of ensuring my own recovery, and as spiritual obedience. Mentorship is a gift that has no end.

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  6. You've turned your losses into beautiful gains with the blessing of mentoring, Kendal. And I'm so glad you get to witness what God has grown in the two of you too!

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  7. Thank you for the reminder to focus on these times of celebration as much as the times of heart-ache. Beautiful poem.

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  8. Congrats to your daughter! Mentoring my own is I hope, helping her down a different path than my own. Helping her understand who God made her to be and not let the world tell her who she is or isn't. This was beautiful to read!!

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  9. smiles...i imagine this will give her great encouragement...that you see and recognize where she has been and where she has come...congrats to her on graduation...

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  10. I just love how you have “mothered” you girl to wholeness with God...what joy to see someone else find freedom from this prison...how sweet to be able to celebrate this passage in life with her. may you be blessed for being willing to stand in the gap with someone.

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  11. such a blessing to be a blessing. this is such an encouraging, triumphant post. I'm so happy to read this!

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  12. oh, you had me at "i understand."

    power there, friend. power in the love of a person, without shackling them to expectations. not having to have the answer . . . but leaving room for JESUS to show Himself as the Cure.

    great depth in this kind of love. may we all set each other free . . . free to follow Him!

    beautiful post, Kendal.

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  13. Spiritual mothers have God-mothered me in ways my own could not. What a blessing you are! What a celebration time!

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  14. What a beautiful tribute to, what sounds like, a beautiful heart!!

    I owe much of my own "place" in my walk to the women who were willing to go out on a limb to love me until I could accept the love of the Lord they were leading me to. Since then, I have been blessed enough to "pay it forward" with other women...what a joy it is to be the ladder that bridges the gap between a heart and Him!!

    Congrats to your girl...may the peace of God rule her life! I hope you feel His peace filling the places you have poured out for His glory.

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  15. Kendal, this is breathtaking. Beautiful! What a testimony of God's healing!

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  16. because the rest of life
    rises like the sun


    oh kendal. thank you for not giving up on her. for simply being there. for applauding her on. we need more people like you.

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  17. I thank God for the way you've walked alongside this girl you mentor. You are a gift. I know that you've been blessed in the process, but you've also been a very real, and tremendous blessing to a human soul. I'm just sure of it.

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