Lysa TerKeurst - Made to Crave for Young Women. Satisfying Your Deepest Desires with God

A special hello from my heart to yours. (Including a quick hi to any moms who may be peeking in!) Im delighted to have a chance to go on a very personal journey with you a journey that has improved my life in many ways over the last few years, and Im betting will change yours too.

You may be familiar with the book that came before this one, Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desires with God, Not Food. It has spoken to a lot of women, but I heard from my teenage daughters and their friends that they wished there was a message that spoke directly to the deep longings, desires, and struggles that are unique to young women struggles that go far beyond the food-related issues in the original book.

As a result, this journey of ours will examine three different ways Satan tries to lure you away from following God. I truly believe understanding the truths in this book will prepare you to make important decisions that will determine so much about the rest of your life.

The information tucked within these pages is tailored to meet you right where you are: as a girl who wants to walk the right path but finds that path is sometimes unclear, or who is interrupted by longings that pull you in other directions. Maybe you long for the acceptance of friends or the affection of a guy but sometimes feel lonely or rejected instead. Maybe you struggle with body image or a secret addiction to those yummy treats in the bakery aisle, and feel unhappy, guilty, or unhealthy. Perhaps you love, love, love that special feeling of buying a great new outfit at the store and never end up feeling special permanently.

You are craving something more. And as you read through this book, youll learn what that craving is and how to truly fill your heart so all those negative longings dont have a hold on you anymore. The good things will still be there; the bad ones simply wont be able to knock you off the path.

There is someone joining us in the pages of this book, and Im so glad to welcome her here. I knew I had to enlist a coauthor who had written books for teenagers before, and my daughter Hope asked, What about Shaunti Feldhahn? Hope and I met Shaunti on a very fun cruise where we were both speaking, and what I loved about Shaunti is that shes not only a great Jesus girl, shes an accomplished social researcher who has spent many years interviewing men, women, and teenagers to find out how we all tick. Youll meet her in the pages ahead.

So are you ready to go on this journey with us? Our goal is to be careful but honest; understanding, but willing to ask you to accept nothing less than Gods best for you.

Live Loved,

Lysa

PART ONE

Longing for More

J enny had everything.

Gorgeous hair, flawless skin, and an infectious personality that won her the acceptance of friends and the interest of guys.

Her parents bought her nice clothes, gave her a cute little car, and didnt spare any expense when she threw parties at her house.

And of course, she had a chest that stuck out, a stomach that stayed flat, and long, lean legs.

I (Lysa) would be a fool to even think about liking the same boy as Jenny.

I had frizzy hair, unpredictable skin, and an infected personality where insecurities and a sense of not quite belonging ran deep.

I had to work to pay for my tank of a car and my off-brand clothes. I didnt do parties, at least not the kind where the cool people came. Often, it was just me, my friend Stephanie, and a few others, watching a video and pretending we didnt care that we werent at the party down the street.

And of course I had a chest that stayed flat, a stomach that stuck out, and what I saw as stubby legs.

I seemed to fall short in every area while there was nothing Jenny ever seemed to want.

Hold on to that fact its important later.

Yes, I knew it wasnt smart to go after the same things Jenny wanted. Id learned that lesson in a big way a few years before in the seventh grade.

With the same frizzy brown hair and knock-off clothes, I walked down the pea-green hallway of Raa Middle School. It was the day after student council elections, the day after my classmates confirmed what Id so desperately feared: If you didnt have beauty, boobs, and a boyfriend, no one would vote for you. At least thats what it felt like at the time.

I shuffled toward my locker wishing I was invisible, keeping my eyes down while I made my feet continue walking. Finally, my locker was in sight. That glorious metal box was my one safe space in this world of catty girls with cute outfits and spiral-permed hair. The place where I could hide my face, let the tears slip, and pretend to be busy shuffling books.

But instead of finding respite in that tiny metal space, I found one of my election posters plastered to the front with the word loser scrawled across the front. How do you quickly hide a poster-sized proclamation by the world that you arent good enough, cool enough, pretty enough, or accepted enough?

The sound of books dropping, girls laughing, tape ripping, and poster board crunching filled my ears as the sign resisted my attempts to ball it up small enough to fit into the mouth of the hallway trash can.

Please fit, please fit, please fit! Oh, God, please help this stupid poster from this stupid election with my stupid face on it disappear into this stupid trash can!

The bell rang. As all the normal people scampered past me, I heard Stephanies voice like a daggers death blow whisper, Loser.

I turned and saw my one confidant, my one friend, my one secret holder being welcomed into Jennys popular girls circle. Stephanies public rejection of me was her ticket in to the crowd wed secretly loathed together. Together.

I sank down beside the stupid trash can where the stupid poster slowly untwisted on the ground in front of me. Loser.

I went home that afternoon and hid in my bedroom with an arsenal of junk food. Comfort was just a few mouthfuls away. But what comforted me in the moment compounded my feelings of helplessness as soon as the wrappers around me were empty.

Have you ever been there? I dont mean at the foot of a locker with a loser poster untwisting before you. I mean have you ever felt that everything would be better if only you had a life a little more like Jennys? Have you ever wanted something so much you caught yourself thinking about it 24/7?

A better body? More acceptance from friends or attention from a boy? Money to buy things that get you noticed? Have you ever thought that if you just had that, youd be happy?

What if I told you its a lie? A lie hand-designed by Satan to pull you away from God and trap you in a life you really dont want. A great body, friends inviting you everywhere, boys hanging on your every word, and the ability to buy the cutest new outfits wont satisfy you. Sure, it may make you happy for a short while, but these feelings wont last.