Susan LaffertyWe walked into a solitary confinement cell at Alcatraz. Dark and small. With double doors to keep out any light. No way of escape.
The prisoners that were allowed to look outside or walk to the yard, had stunning views of San Francisco and the surrounding towns. Beautiful hills and shores.
But those in solitary saw nothing much beyond the confining walls of their dark cells.
I remember the day it hit me. Specific prayer for my teen was a much more effective way to persuade her to do something. Words seemed to have little effect. Even triggered resistance. And created a rift between us, making matters worse.
But silent prayers by faith—with a sincere heart—brought change in a way my parental speeches had not.
And praying changed me. Helped me consider what was true. What was necessary. Brought back memories of my own journey in adolescence.
This experiment was a process. And led to a few practices that paid off in building relationships with our teens.
This week I’ve walked on the soft, white sand of Pensacola Beach and stared out at the deep blue and aqua waters of the Gulf. I’ve relaxed, breathed in the ocean breezes. Watched sandpipers race the tide.
My first memory of feeling sand between my toes was a 1964 family vacation in Bali. We loaded up our 1958 Chevrolet station wagon in Surabaya early in the morning and drove across East Java to the ferry at Ketapang, just north of Banyuwangi.