Temptations...

The other day I had some errands to run and Matt asked if he could come with me. I said sure and we set off to go to a few places. Once we were in the car he turned to me and said "Leigh, what are some of the worst temptations you've ever had?" I wasn't quite sure where he was going with this, so I asked him to clarify. He wanted to know if I had ever given into temptations and what they were. I gave him an example of when I was single, I hung out with some people that maybe I shouldn't have and it was very tempting to live the sort of lifestyle they were living. I asked him why he wanted to know and he replied that he has been struggling with some temptation himself. I told him if he wanted to talk about it, I would be more than happy to listen. (that was the motherly thing to do right?? I said a quick prayer right then and there that if he did want to talk, that it would be something I could handle! ha ha) He opened up to me and told me about the temptation and his concerns and asked me what he should do. Thankfully it wasn't anything horrific and I actually had to giggle on the inside because his temptation was pretty manageable and I was soooooooooo relieved that it wasn't something more major. I am just in awe of his innocence and his desire to be the best person he can be. It really was a bonding moment for us and I am so grateful that he trusts me enough to share his thoughts and concerns with me. I told him that the temptations he was having was part of being a teenager, and that it's how he reacted or responded to the thoughts he was having that would ultimately prove whether or not he is strong enough to resist the temptation. I let him know that he needs to pray for the strength to push the thoughts out of his mind and that it never hurts to hum your favorite hymn if all else fails! ha ha. I told him that his Dad and I are always here for him and he can talk to us about anything. I know I should be flattered that he came to me and wanted to talk, but I'm secretly hoping that any other issues that may come up get directed to Ron. ha ha ha (just kidding...kind of) Hopefully I gave some semi-good advice...I thought I'd have a few more years before dealing with teenager issues! But I guess these are good learning experiences for me and I will be good and prepared for when my own kids start becoming teenagers.