After a week of knocking on doors and seeking help for Alex at a frantic pace, now I feel led to let her go again. Upon all my reading and hearing from experts on eating disorders, I believed I needed to be in close communication and supervision of Alex. However after few heated debates and arguments with Howard, I see that it is best to give her space and independence, especially since IU student health center is moving so quickly with her evaluation for treatment.

I thank the Lord that after knocking/seeking many doors, only one opened. This makes it much easier. Thank you so much Jesus. It would’ve been super hard to make a decision if we had choices.

Next week I’ll speak with Alex’s case manager at IU health center to see what they are planning for Alex after their evaluations. Yesterday she saw their physician for a physical and today she will meet with their dietitian. Alex texted us that next week there’s a follow-up and more appointments. Not sure for what but I’ll find out from her case manager next week. It feels sad that I must refrain from asking Alex directly and having a relationship with her. Whenever we try, she’s very hostile and angry at us. Then we are concerned she’ll hurt herself or retaliate with more eating disorder behaviors. We’ve seen her hit herself in anger.

Many good believing friends and leaders are praying for her. A pastor at my church who used to be a youth pastor shared something with me yesterday that gave me wisdom to back off on Alex, now that she is getting help. – “I’ve found working with teens that many times their anger / coldness towards their parents has very little to do with their parents or relationship … they just don’t know how to process and deal with the mountain of emotions they are experiencing. And it comes out in the wrong places and the wrong ways. Just keep consistently showing her love and support – she knows you are there for her and you love her and she’ll come around.”

I’ve been thinking to myself and reminding God about the abundance of prayers that I and the prayer group ladies have prayed against eating disorders in our girls, knowing how prevalent and destructive it is. What happened? I was feeling betrayed and disappointed. I never said anything to anyone. Then a member in my Times Square Church small group told me about Rick Warren’s message shared in a recent conference. She told me to check it out.

God truly hears and knows our thoughts. Yes I was very blessed by Rick Warren’s message. But the message that was for me was from the first speaker, Dharius Daniels. He shared from the book of Job. I was just talking about Job with a neighbor of mine the other day too. She’s Hindu and going through a lot with her two teenagers and their mental health. We have been very open to each other about what’s happening with our children and comforting one another too. I gave her a book that ministered to me. It’s called “Mother’s Together” by Ruth Graham and one of her daughter. I pray that it’ll minister to my friend and draw her to Jesus. I know that her Hindu faith and gods have not fulfilled her needs. All their spending on therapy for her teenagers aren’t making them any better too. We also have spent a few thousands on Alex’s therapist last spring. I see now that that therapist was a wrong person since she’s not an eating disorder therapist.

Here is the link to the conference messages. They are all very excellent. I plan on listening to them again to glean more wisdom and discernment. https://gatewaypeople.com/series/first-conference-2022

Song lyrics that a praying friend shared with me. It’s beautiful – “If it seems that your family is falling apart…And what you see is breaking your heart.
Look to the One who will make your family whole…
Look to the One who saved your soul. There’s an Answer…Just Remember, there’s an Answer. There’s an Answer…To your prayer. If it seems there is no love around… And that beauty cannot be found. Look to the One who gave you so much love… To find Him, you just look above.”

Another study report on the mental health of USA teenagers came out that their mental health are suffering much more since the pandemic, especially the girls. Truly without a revival, it’ll be impossible for our professionals to help the multitudes of teenagers needing help. I’ll keep on praying for a revival. – https://www.morganstanley.com/assets/pdfs/reemergence-program-teen-survey-factsheet.pdf