Cont'd

This youth event is the symptom of a larger problem. My eldest is having a crisis (maybe a little dramatic), or confusion of faith. I noticed a few months ago that bed time prayers had gotten a little automatic and reluctant. Recently even more reluctant to the point that we gave them up and every night instead I say "may God bless you real good" to which she gives me a positive nod/smile and then I say "I think does". We had a long conversation a few weeks ago about faith and what it means. She is stuck on inconsistencies (in her mind) in the bible and how it is all too neatly wrapped up. She wonders how people can take it and use their own interpretation to suit their needs. I admit I wonder the same things sometimes. But, to help her out I found a whole bunch of articles that support the historical facts and timelines of the bible. That seemed to help. But we haven't talked it out yet.

Now, she has this party (with boys) to go to. She doesn't want to miss out. Wonders if she has to go to the soup kitchen. Its a sleep over so she won't even miss that much (could be there by nine) - oh, don't worry, boys are kicked out at 11pm. I'm just not sure how hard to push. Do I insist she go the soup kitchen? We've been talking at church about losing the youth to other "fun" events. I feel I'm losing mine already. She doesn't have her faith to keep her there right now. She wonders why she needs to go at all. Yet, you get her singing hymns or camp songs and she can feel it - I told her to hold onto that feeling, but she says "how do I know that's faith, maybe I just really like singing..." I'm at a loss, I don't know what to say.

Guess I won't let her read the Da Vinci code right now.