I Want My Kids To Be Popular

Confession, I want my kids to be popular. I want them to be included and not feel left out. I want them to feel wanted by their peers. I want them to be accepted. I dont want them to feel like I did as a kid. Made fun of, left out of the cool birthday parties, isolated at recess.

Yes, believe it or not that was me as a kid. It began in 5th grade for me or at least thats my most clear memories. I was skinny. I wore glasses. I had an awful haircut. Its funny to look back now, but I hated it then.

I have had to face these memories and those feelings and face my sinful desire for my kids to be cool. No its not sinful for my kids to be cool, but it is sinful for me to put their coolness above their identity as a Christian.

Recently Trevor and I attended a parent teacher conference for our ten year old. It was a routine conference. But at this meeting we discovered that our son may be being bullied and made fun of. It breaks my heart. I wanted nothing more than to tell Micah all that his heart wanted to hear. But what I wanted to tell him would have been contrary to want the Bible says about who we are and the character of a Godly man.

-Except Responsibly
-Reject Passivity
-Lead Courageously
-Invest Eternally

You see these are the character traits of a Godly man that we are trying to instill in our boys. These have nothing to do with what they wear, if their included in the cool clique or if they have swagger {Ha! Yes I just said swagger, in all seriousness.}

But my deceitful heart tells me they will have a much easier road ahead in school if they are popular. If they will just fit in. If they will just be loved and accepted by other kids. As a parent its my responsibility to provided whatever avenue they need to obtain these things. Then they will have an easy life.

These are lies straight from Satan. Popular kids are searching for the same thing. Love and acceptance. And they will do whatever necessary to hold tight to their identity, the popular kid.

But I must cling to Truth and scripture that says, my identity is in Christ. That I am a new creation. I must show my children that the approval of man leads to death but the approval of God gives life. I must live I life that shows that in my weakness I am strong. I must live a life not for created things but for the Creator. This is where our identity if formed, where it is molded.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I pray I will lead my kids in my weakness.

My Dream Job??

"We should neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, but eat to God, and sleep to God, and work to God, and talk to God, do all to his glory and praise...." Richard Sibbes

When we moved to Murfreesboro to plant City Church many of the people coming with us needed a job. Once we got here we've had several of our covenant members lose jobs, desire new jobs and find them. In all of it I've heard my husband ask them, "What's your dream job?" "What do you want to do?"

This question has been bouncing around in my head for the last week or so. The question of a dream job. I know we probably all have passions, goals and things that make us happy. That we would love to turn into a dream job. But there's something else I've realized, once you/I find it, does it fulfill us? Does it truly make us happy?

Once I turned that question onto myself it became all the more personal. Am I doing what makes me happy? Am I passionate about what I do? Do I have my dream job?

Yes.

I am a wife and a mother. Both make me happy. Both fulfill me. But both also leave me drained, empty and frustrated many days.

Just the other day I was lamenting over the fact that everyday looks the same. Practically. I get up, make lunches, breakfasts, change diapers, wipe noses, correct behaviors, discipline my disobedient children, do homework, make snacks, make dinner, clean up said dinner, do bedtime and then relax, hopefully, with my husband.

But as I was sitting in my frustration I read something that jarred me awake. Everyday does look the same in a lot of ways. But because of Gods grace I have that day, to do all the above, but also to: hugs my kids when they wake up, kiss them goodbye as they walk out the door and trust God with them, laugh and play with my baby who changes everyday, greet my kids at the door when they safely make it home, cook dinner with my husband and talk about our day, eat dinner and enjoy conversation with my kids, rock my baby to sleep and sing to him and tell him over and over how much I love him, tuck my oldest into bed and say sweet dreams, enjoy and evening with my husband, just the two of us.

Yes I have my dream job. But that doesn't mean it will ever be all I need for happiness. I need Jesus to ultimately fulfill me, so that I can love my family well, serve them and do my job to the best of my ability. Trust that when I am weak, He is strong enough for the both of us. Let go of that blasted need for control and know that when my mind, body and soul are nourished I can face the mundane, chaotic and fun days of doing, my dream job.