It's not fair.

You have my permission to stop reading now....this is going to be a bit of a rant.

When I left school in 1987 we were in the grips of recession. I remember being terrified of not being able to find a job. It consumed my every waking moment.

I was lucky, and was able to find a good job straight out of school, so my worry was unfounded. But the memory of that uncertainty and fear hasn't left me.

Since then times have been pretty good for our school leavers. Most kids leaving school have a choice of jobs, they have been able to select the field they want to go into without the "beggers can't be choosers" mentality that I and my classmates had.

Until now.

Right when MY kids are preparing to leave school and enter the workforce.

So now all that uncertainty, and worry, and stress is back.

It's just NOT. FAIR.

Why do I have to go through all this again?

At the moment thoughts of what career path to take are consuming Stephanie's every thought. She knows what she wants to do but she is afraid that there won't be a job for her once she finishes her studies. Stephanie is artistic. She loves makeup, cosmetics and the beauty industry. She loves colour and design and her dream is to become an interior decorator. And she would be so good at it. She has such an eye for colour and her attention to detail is fabulous.

She loves fashion, and design, as we saw in the beautiful gown she designed for herself for her debutante ball.

She is already selling herself short by coming up with compromises. She is telling herself that she needs to steer away from what she wants to do and think about what she feels is possible.

I did exactly the same thing. I found a good job and that was the end of chasing my dreams.

It breaks my heart to see her following in my footsteps, because she is afraid, because she lacks confidence in herself and because she is putting so many limitations on her own abilities.

The best thing I can do for her is pray. And this I will do. I didn't know the Lord when I was going through this struggle myself. I'm not sure that Stephanie beleives in the Lord either but she does have a Mum praying for her, which is more than I had.

Lord, help Stephanie to follow her dreams and reach her potential. Please show her the path that you have planned for her and help her have the courage to follow it. Please watch over her as she thinks about her future and help her to look to the future with courage and excitement rather than fear and trepadition. Help me guide her as you would like her guided. Help me speak words of wisdom and encouragement when I struggle to remain calm and patient. Give her some direction Lord, and show her that with You anything is possible.