uniquely created
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. ~ Psalm 139:14
I spent much of my early life cycling through emotions of feeling inadequate, unlovely, and deficient in one way or another. My eyes were always centered on others and their giftings and accomplishments. I did not realize, during my early life, that I needed to turn my eyes to the One who created me. To the One who uniquely knit me together in my mother's womb for His purposes.
It wasn't until later in my adult life that I began to understand the freedom that comes from finding my identity in Jesus Christ instead of the measuring stick of the world. My mind thinks in pictures and so a picture is what God gave to speak life to me. Imagine that every human being is an instrument. Each one different from the next. Each one needed to produce a beautiful song. If we were all horns or if we were all drums the music would not be as rich. And when one instrument tries to be another one the tone gets out of pitch and becomes only noise instead of the rich harmony that comes from every instrument playing in the way it was designed.
I felt I had a grasp on this concept but a few years into my mothering I began to see those old lies creeping back in. I compared my mothering to others and felt I did not measure up. But this time around it not only affected me, it also involved my children. And so the comparisons began. The age of crawling, the ability to recognize letters, the athletic accomplishments. My child seemed behind and different. I was told that boys were more active and aggressive but my son would allow every child on the playground to go down the slide while patiently waiting for his own turn. His learning style didn't fit with how others were learning and we battled over whether an "A" was really an "A". His peers began to read chapter books while he was still trying to master letter sounds. And on and on it went.
I know why God gave me this child first and am thankful that he paved the road for the others that would follow. Each one uniquely created for to play their own song, the song that their Creator designed them to play. And it is my responsibility as their mother to celebrate and encourage them. It is my responsibility to call out the image of God in my children and not conform them into my own.... or that of the child living next door or even to their own siblings. I have learned that it is important for me to rejoice in their giftings and not shame them for who they are. To let them know that our family and this world needs them. Each one has a specific job, a specific role to play that no one else was created to do.
Recently our oldest had to read a biography and then be part of a living museum. They were given free choice of which book to read. Our son said that many of the boys in his class had chosen sports figures but he was not interested in reading that type of book. He took his time choosing who he would study, looking at books and pondering his decision. He is my thinker and always takes his time. In the end he decided to read about Frederick Douglass and was very excited about his choice. The opportunity reminded me encouraging our children to be who God created them to be regardless of whether it is the popular, or as my son calls it, the "famous" choice. And then they can confidently chase after the desires God has placed in their hearts and be a cheerleader for their peers to do the same. I pray our home is an environment where we do not have to crave another's talents or be fearful of those who are different than us. Our desire is for each of our children to discover and embrace who God uniquely created them to be and that in turn they will encourage others to do the same. In the words of Frederick Douglass, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
I spent much of my early life cycling through emotions of feeling inadequate, unlovely, and deficient in one way or another. My eyes were always centered on others and their giftings and accomplishments. I did not realize, during my early life, that I needed to turn my eyes to the One who created me. To the One who uniquely knit me together in my mother's womb for His purposes.
It wasn't until later in my adult life that I began to understand the freedom that comes from finding my identity in Jesus Christ instead of the measuring stick of the world. My mind thinks in pictures and so a picture is what God gave to speak life to me. Imagine that every human being is an instrument. Each one different from the next. Each one needed to produce a beautiful song. If we were all horns or if we were all drums the music would not be as rich. And when one instrument tries to be another one the tone gets out of pitch and becomes only noise instead of the rich harmony that comes from every instrument playing in the way it was designed.
I felt I had a grasp on this concept but a few years into my mothering I began to see those old lies creeping back in. I compared my mothering to others and felt I did not measure up. But this time around it not only affected me, it also involved my children. And so the comparisons began. The age of crawling, the ability to recognize letters, the athletic accomplishments. My child seemed behind and different. I was told that boys were more active and aggressive but my son would allow every child on the playground to go down the slide while patiently waiting for his own turn. His learning style didn't fit with how others were learning and we battled over whether an "A" was really an "A". His peers began to read chapter books while he was still trying to master letter sounds. And on and on it went.
I know why God gave me this child first and am thankful that he paved the road for the others that would follow. Each one uniquely created for to play their own song, the song that their Creator designed them to play. And it is my responsibility as their mother to celebrate and encourage them. It is my responsibility to call out the image of God in my children and not conform them into my own.... or that of the child living next door or even to their own siblings. I have learned that it is important for me to rejoice in their giftings and not shame them for who they are. To let them know that our family and this world needs them. Each one has a specific job, a specific role to play that no one else was created to do.
Recently our oldest had to read a biography and then be part of a living museum. They were given free choice of which book to read. Our son said that many of the boys in his class had chosen sports figures but he was not interested in reading that type of book. He took his time choosing who he would study, looking at books and pondering his decision. He is my thinker and always takes his time. In the end he decided to read about Frederick Douglass and was very excited about his choice. The opportunity reminded me encouraging our children to be who God created them to be regardless of whether it is the popular, or as my son calls it, the "famous" choice. And then they can confidently chase after the desires God has placed in their hearts and be a cheerleader for their peers to do the same. I pray our home is an environment where we do not have to crave another's talents or be fearful of those who are different than us. Our desire is for each of our children to discover and embrace who God uniquely created them to be and that in turn they will encourage others to do the same. In the words of Frederick Douglass, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
Kody is such a special boy. Watching the way that he cares for others truly blesses my heart. The way that he held his great grandmother's hand and then patiently sat on her lap because, despite her dementia, she was enjoying it so much showed his kindness and compassion. The way that he openly shows love to his younger sisters has been a huge gift to them. I love the way that he loves history and his great imagination. I cherish his obvious love for me. Most of all, he loves Jesus. I would not trade any of this for other characteristics or accomplishments.
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