A couple weeks ago something terrible happened to my daughter. Brace yourself. Take a moment if you need.

I donā€™t know how else to say it besides just coming right out with it: It was a Friday night and my teenage daughter had no plans.

It was tragic.

She had no other alternative but to hang out with her lame parents on the couch and watch the dumb movie they rented from Red Box.

She was in a dark place mentally so in anticipation of the evening she asked if she could take a quick drive around the neighborhood in the golf cart to clear her head. We agreed it was a good idea. We had to help get her through this however we could.

She was gone for all of 5 minutes when my husbandā€™s phone rang. He sprung from the couch yelling into the phone, ā€œWhere are you? Are you okay? Iā€™m on my way!ā€ He ran out the front door shouting, ā€œShe wrecked, but sheā€™s ok!ā€

Before I could get past our front porch she was already home, being delivered to me by her dad with a blanket around her shoulders. Crying hysterically.

After I tended to her bumps and bruises, checked her pupils, looked for broken bonesā€¦all the normal mom checklist stuffā€¦I asked her what happened.

She told me she was driving down the street when she saw the headlights of an approaching car. She did what any clear minded person would do. She turned off the headlights from the golf cart. Duh. After they passed, she turned her headlights back on at the exact moment that she plowed into a truck parked on the side of the road.

ā€œWhy would you turn off your lights?ā€ I asked in the calmest most chilled tone of voice I could muster.

ā€œBecause it was embarrassing for anyone to see me all alone on a Friday night, driving a golf cart around the neighborhood!ā€ she said.

Of course! Totally logical.

Her dad comes back with the golf cart. The pieces of it, I should say. When she hit, she flew through the windshield and landed on the pavement. Hit so hard the axle snapped in half and the wheels fell off. Itā€™s a miracle she wasnā€™t seriously injured.

This is not whatā€™s bothering me really. Itā€™s just what led me to tell you what is.

Today is her 16th birthday. Iā€™m taking her tomorrow morning to the court house to test for her drivers permit. Instead of a golf cart she will now be driving a 2-ton car.

Hide your kids. Hide your wife.

Will she turn off her lights on a Friday night, when sheā€™s all alone, driving 60mph on the highway, to spare herself the embarrassment of being seen?

Will she walk away unhurt if she ever gets flung through a windshield again?

As Iā€™m driving about my day, I get a panicky feeling now when I see a moron driver because I immediately think of my baby sharing the road with him.

Will she know how to handle driving on black ice? I donā€™t, but I really hope she does.

Celebrating her sweet 16 today makes me thankful. Itā€™s been an exciting 16 years watching her grow into her own independent person, but it feels like with that independence that Iā€™m letting a piece of her go.

Iā€™m losing some of that comforting pseudo control I think I have. It sets my anxiety into overdrive. Iā€™m not ready. The 16 years went by too fast. AAAAHHHHHH!

ā€œAsk and it will be given to youā€¦ā€ Matthew 7:7.

Iā€™m not sure I buy it exactly. Iā€™ve asked many times for things and was not given them. Nevertheless, I keep asking. I gather that when I ask for things that are heavenly and pure that it may be the sort of thing heā€™s speaking of giving to people when they ask. I bet if I prayed to hit the lottery heā€™d be less likely to say yes then when I pray for more faith. The whole ā€œblessed are the poorā€ thing probably knocks me out of his favor with the ole lottery prayer, but I must think he wouldnā€™t be stingy on my request for peace and deeper faith.

Itā€™s my only hope. Praying for faith.

Faith that he will look over my girl. His girl.

Faith that he will protect her. Faith that his control is good and sufficient.

Faith. Ā I’m praying for more of it.

Itā€™s the only way to keep from suffering a nervous breakdown over this.

Iā€™ll also try to focus on the upside.

Iā€™ll have a runner now. Someone to make trips to the grocery for me. Someone to drop off our dry cleaning. Someone who understands the importance of headlights.

So Happy Sweet 16th birthday baby girl. Momma loves you. Call me when you get there. And when you leave. But not while youā€™re driving.

In the meantime, Iā€™ll be sitting here praying for faith to relax and enjoy it all. That and stiff cocktail should do the trick.