Through our women's summer bible study, I have been thinking a lot about my personality and all the attributes God purposefully wove into my being to make me a part of the Body. In the past, my contemplation on the subject was minimal lest I should be conceited or prideful- at least that is what I feared. Others first, self last has been my mantra. I still very much live with by that, however I am learning that there is a difference between becoming prideful about your unique strengths and being confident in those things God specifically choose to endow you with. Pride-bad, confidence-good.
Until this summer, confidence would have carried a very negative connotation in my mind aligning itself right up next to prideful. Because of this, I never really prayed that God would reveal to me those things which he choose to create me to do and do well. I am learning this summer that discovering those things and being confident in them is a crucial step in becoming active member of the body. Certainly, you can just do those things that are needed in your family, church and community, but there IS something that you do GREAT. The Body of Christ needs you to find those things and step into your spot with confidence that God in His omniscience knit into you in your mother's womb.
1 Corinthians 12:14-20
Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now
if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to
the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And
if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the
body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If
the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the
whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
How beautiful are those verses. We are all important and so are our differences. Which brings me to my second point: get to know your children so you can push them in their own strengths.
Sometimes as a mother, I get so busy. Yesterday, my beautiful (really, everyone thought he was a girl until about a year ago) boy came up to me to tattle. I glanced down at his face and in so doing realized I have not looked my son in the eyes today. I have not sat down and held my son today and listened to the musings of his little world. It's so hard in a day in age with so many distractions to actually open our ears and engage our children. It's so important. How else will we be able to see those unique qualities in our children, those specific strengths, to be able to PUSH our children to develop them? How will we be able to discern when we are trying to PUSH our kids into a mold in which they do not fit?
PUSH? Yes, push! I am a pusher and you should be too! Watch them to see what they naturally excel at and push them to develop and use them. When you do this, they see they are special. They are wonderfully made and specifically made. They feel themselves starting to fulfill their God-given roles and having confidence in them. They do not have to be like others, just themselves.
I am learning that:
This young lady is responsible and likes to be put in charge. She regularly takes lunch orders and makes everyone their lunch. I observe, but she insists on doing it on her own. She finds joy in being responsible and taking care of others.
This young lady spends hours picking out outfits and playing with barbies. She has a flourishing imagination (most liker HER FATHER). This is her "workout" outfit.
Ultimate boy and warrior. I send him out to take care of the monsters and bad guys in our back yard.
First, he might need to work on clothing himself properly. This is something his father also struggles with.
Miss Diva. She never fails to tell you what's what even if she can't talk, she still gets her point across.
Just ask her bestie, Will. He gets an ear load every time they see each other.
She is a fighter, we have to push this attribute in more of a positive direction (notice her hand in his snacks and hers all at the same time). ;)
