Why won't my teenager talk to me anymore?

Supper is ready. You call. They come, sit, eat, and leave. No eye contact. No story about their day. Just the sound of a chair scraping back and a door closing. You stand at the sink wondering what you did wrong, or whether they are okay, or both. That silence can feel like rejection. But a teenager going quiet is almost never the whole story. Somewhere inside that closed door is still your child. And love that holds on through the hard stretch is exactly what this verse is built for.

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

- Proverbs 17:17 (KJV)

Before you go to sleep tonight, leave a short note where your teenager will find it. Not a question, not a lecture. Just four or five words that say you see them and you are not going anywhere. Something as plain as 'I am proud of you.' Let God carry the rest of the distance.

What is one thing your teenager was good at that you could mention today?

God, I feel the distance and I do not know how to close it. Help me to love without pushing and to stay without giving up. Keep my child and keep me. Amen.

Tomorrow: How do I know when it is time to leave?