My phone flashed that I received a video.

It was from my daughter Kendall.

I chuckled as I saw it was a video of Sarah with the caption “She a babe.”  (Yes, you read that correctly.)

I opened up the video to see Sarah trying on sunglasses at a drug store. She was quite pleased at herself as she posed in the mirror that was on top of the sunglasses carrousel. She was making a peace sign with her two fingers and saying “cheese” into the mirror.

Kendall was supposed to pick Sarah up from my sister’s house and take her home. David and I went to Jim’s university to see Jim play lacrosse and we were juggling who was watching Sarah.

Why was Kendall not home with her?

I called from the game “Hey, what’s up? You took Sarah out???” I try to avoid taking Sarah out as she usually cries and can make a scene.

“I picked her up from Aunt Leanne’s but then I thought Sarah might enjoy going out. I took her to Subway for lunch. She danced in the store! The employees thought she was so funny! We walked around the city’s downtown park and Sarah was strutting and posing on the sidewalk. It was hilarious!! I then took her to RiteAid and she was trying on sunglasses. I LOVE HER!!”

When I got home from Jim’s game Kendall showed me the video of Sarah walking in the park. She walked fast with her head down and then she stopped, looked up and posed with her hand on her hip as if she was a model walking the catwalk. Where did she learn that?!?! It was funny and adorable!

I laughed but a wave of conviction came over me. I’m an adult and her mother and I’m reluctant to take Sarah out, but here is her twin sister giving her a girls’ day out!

It comes down to the fact it takes work to take Sarah out and sometimes I am too tired, too lazy or too willing to take the path of least resistance. It is humbling to be challenged by your teenage daughter, but sometimes a humbled spirit gives you that push you need to break out of your comfort zone.

Currently I am studying the book of Ruth. Ruth could have taken the path of least resistance and done what her sister-in-law had done and stayed with her people. But Ruth didn’t. Ruth stepped out in faith and went with her mother-in-law to Israel. Ruth humbled herself by gleaning the leftovers in Boaz’s fields to feed them both. She humbled herself by following her mother-in-law’s instructions and approaching Boaz to ask him to marry her.

Personally, I would struggle with what her mother-in-law, Naomi, suggested. And while her heart might have been pounding as she made her way to Boaz’s field, Ruth’s response to Naomi was, “I will do whatever you say.”(Ruth 3:5)

Her response is refreshing. Instead of refusing and giving Naomi all the reasons of why she couldn’t, Ruth’s heart was one of openness and humble obedience. Over and over again Ruth did the uncomfortable and stepped out of her comfort zone. Her story inspires me; her story challenges me.

So I am making a conscious effort to take Sarah out more. I realize that in less than 5 years all the kids will be in college and this will be my new normal with her. So far we have gone to lacrosse and softball games and she is doing very well! She sometimes yells out phrases that only make sense to her, but she isn’t crying!

My favorite thing she has done so far is at her younger brother’s high school lacrosse game when she stood up and started clapping to a song played over the loud speaker. The song talks about clapping your hands. Sarah heard it, stood up and started to clap. She looked around puzzled wondering who was asking her to clap.

I smiled at my sweet girl and thought Kendall is right, “She a babe.”

“God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble.” I Peter 5:5