Quotation of the Year!
I've told you before that I'm big on words. Really big on words. I think in words and phrases instead of complete sentences. Words matter to me.
Three months ago, I was wasting time on one of my favorite online sites. People were discussing a certain cartoon, and whether it was "crap" or not. Someone got her feelings hurt by the comments, and Dawn responded with such simple wisdom that is so hard to believe.
Every parent has her preferences & does what is right for her particular family. Please don't allow someone's preferences for their family make you feel offended about your preferences for your family
Isn't that the truth? How often have we heard about someone who does something differently than we do, and we choose to get all upset? Or how often do we believe something is "right" when it's only our preference? How often do our choices become our gospel and our standard for judging others?
I took her comment to heart. I began to look in my life to figure out where the need to be defensive started. I allowed myelf permission to be confident in my family's decisions. And to not be moved by passive aggressive (or purely agressive) comments.
Regardless of how others may feel about it,
~I believe in our decision to move to Panama.
~I'm confident that Tony's in the right profession.
~I trust that 4 kids (and 1 in eternity) is the perfect number for our family.
~I have no guilt about sending the kids to the school we chose.
~I'm pleased with our church selection.
~I'm secure in our decision to (mostly) remove presents from the Christmas experience.
I know that we're trying our best to do our best to raise our children. I know our life doesn't look exactly like anyone else's life, but I'm completely comfortable in my own skin about our life. And that's completely ok. It's not cocky. It's not arrogant. It doesn't mean I think I know it all. It doesn't mean I've arrived. It doesn't mean that we don't have lots of room to learn and grow. It doesn't mean I'm claiming perfection.
It means that the Lord has brought me to a place of confidence in Him and in whom He's making me. I will no longer live my life in comparison to others. I will no longer judge others about their preferences because I no longer have that place of insecurity within me. My life is guided by Truth. I know I don't know it all, but I know the One who does. I will not be swayed from His Truth, but I won't allow my preferences to become equal to that Truth.
Three months ago, I was wasting time on one of my favorite online sites. People were discussing a certain cartoon, and whether it was "crap" or not. Someone got her feelings hurt by the comments, and Dawn responded with such simple wisdom that is so hard to believe.
Every parent has her preferences & does what is right for her particular family. Please don't allow someone's preferences for their family make you feel offended about your preferences for your family
Isn't that the truth? How often have we heard about someone who does something differently than we do, and we choose to get all upset? Or how often do we believe something is "right" when it's only our preference? How often do our choices become our gospel and our standard for judging others?
I took her comment to heart. I began to look in my life to figure out where the need to be defensive started. I allowed myelf permission to be confident in my family's decisions. And to not be moved by passive aggressive (or purely agressive) comments.
Regardless of how others may feel about it,
~I believe in our decision to move to Panama.
~I'm confident that Tony's in the right profession.
~I trust that 4 kids (and 1 in eternity) is the perfect number for our family.
~I have no guilt about sending the kids to the school we chose.
~I'm pleased with our church selection.
~I'm secure in our decision to (mostly) remove presents from the Christmas experience.
I know that we're trying our best to do our best to raise our children. I know our life doesn't look exactly like anyone else's life, but I'm completely comfortable in my own skin about our life. And that's completely ok. It's not cocky. It's not arrogant. It doesn't mean I think I know it all. It doesn't mean I've arrived. It doesn't mean that we don't have lots of room to learn and grow. It doesn't mean I'm claiming perfection.
It means that the Lord has brought me to a place of confidence in Him and in whom He's making me. I will no longer live my life in comparison to others. I will no longer judge others about their preferences because I no longer have that place of insecurity within me. My life is guided by Truth. I know I don't know it all, but I know the One who does. I will not be swayed from His Truth, but I won't allow my preferences to become equal to that Truth.
Comments