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Sample Pages of Relief
Introduction (Page 11)
Encouragement
I asked twenty sets of parents of misbehaving teenagers where I should begin in writing this book.
They quickly agreed that I should begin by offering some immediate pain relief. I took their advice,
and this first part is for relieving parental pain.
You need to know that what you are feeling is likely very normal for what you're going through, that
you are not losing your mind, that you are not alone, that someone understands and can put it into
words for you, that God has not forsaken you, that you are not a failure (as self-doubt might tempt
you to believe), that it's right for you to expect your children to live decent lives, and that
there is still hope.
In the following chapters I will seek to ease your pain and help you overthrow your intimidations,
revive your confidence in your ability to parent, renew your courage, and develop a proper posture
for parenting.
C H A P T E R 1
DEALING WITH THE PAIN
Hurting parents, God understands how you feel. God lost His kids...and no one can say He didn't
raise them right, either. He loved them. He spent time with them. He gave them the best of
everything. He carefully taught them what not to partake of or even touch. He made sure they
understood that their futures depended on their choices. He warned them of the consequences if they
strayed from their upbringing. Nevertheless, a bad influence pulled them away and involved them in
wrongdoing.
God found out and confronted Adam and Eve, who acted somewhat like many of today's
teenagers. They were evasive and placed blame elsewhere.
God's family was traumatized: Adam and
Eve's original relationship with God and each other had been violated, and there were long-term ill
effects. God was put on standby, and He watched His creation fall further and further away from Him.
Abused parents, God understands how you feel! God has been where you are! Just as the Son
understands what it's like to live in our dangerous environment, the Father understands what it's
like to be abused by those you have created.
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Other topics in this chapter include...
Abused parents hurt in nearly every way possible.
It hurts so-o-o bad.
Good parents can have trouble with their teenagers.
Encouragement for fair and reasonable parents.
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