If we are to have a rewarding experience, we must also change many of the ways we interact with them. The mind-bending question is, “How do we do this?”
In the sequel to Beyond Suvival, Diana Waring answers that question and many others. Reaping the Harvest is first and foremost a richly practical guidebook to building deep and long-lasting relationships with your teens. It was written after Diana homeschooled her three children through their own teen years. Drawing on personal experiences as well as the shared experiences of other families around the world, she provides a working blueprint for helping you gain flexibility and enjoyment in your relationship with your teen; helping your teens think through some of the issues of the adult world (such as taking responsibility for their education, handling money, setting and achieving their own goals, and male/female interpersonal relationships); and, finally, helping you and your teen catch a vision of serving the Lord fully in whatever sphere of influence to which they may be called.
In the first section, which is written first and foremost to parents, Diana helps you consider and apply the easier-said-than-done concept of loving, enjoying, and spending quality time with your teenager in a way that they will be able to receive and appreciate. The second section, filled with word pictures and written directly to teens, will provide a great opportunity for discussion between parents and teens. Together, you can consider “How God Made You Smart,” why it’s important not to “Check Your Brains at the Door!,” and what a difference it will make to understand the principle of “YaGottaHavaGottaWanna.” The final section helps teens and parents reflect on the Lordship of Christ in very real and practical ways. Whole-hearted discipleship is combined with the concept of God’s desire to send His people into every realm, whether it be the media, politics, business, education, the arts, the family, or the Church.