I Believe in You...

I have always had an understanding to the heart of a child. It's hard for me to explain. The spirit that God puts in children motivates me. Their trust. Their smiles. Their mimicking of adults. Example: You give Josie a big toothie grin and she'll give you one back times ten! Her whole face lights up. There is something about a child's innocence, their hopes, their honesty that I just totally dig. Kids tell it like it is. They do what adults are thinking about doing or saying. Sometimes it can be inappropriate, sometimes it can be downright funny and sometimes it ministers to my heart more than I could ever imagine.

I have a couple examples. I'll use my children to start. Grace has always wanted to please. She definately is gifted in "helping" she serves gladly. She does not want to disappoint. Especially her parents. Well, one time she was watching Nickeoldeon tv... she was probably 4 and there was a song being performed in some video. The words to the song went... " I'm not perfect... no I'm not I'm not perfect because I've got what I got.. I do my very best, I do my very best. I do my very best each day. I'm not perfect and I hope you like me that way." OK... so I am listening to the song and she turns to me and says very matter of factly. "Mom, you don't like that song... do you?" I said, "I like that song Grace! I think it's a good song. Why don't you think I like it?" Again, very matter of factly she said, "Because it talks about being perfect, and you like it when I am perfect." READ: stabbing pains in heart begin right about now. READ: GASP! READ: GASP... pass out. My beautiful daughter thought I expected her to be perfect all the time. She anticipated I did not like the song because I only dug it when she was perfect. And at the tender age of four she told me about it. She was no manipulating me, she was not even condeming me. She as very matter of fact about it and just thought I was going to agree with her. Humbling people. Very humbling. But cool at the same time. It also provided me the opportunity to talk to her about how I loved her no matter what. That no one is perfect. Including me and that is why Jesus died on the cross because he knew we could not be perfect and that we needed Him in our lives.

Next story... Toby... This week. Recently I have been researching books about kids and one of the books I am ordering is called, "10 things kids need to hear." One of those things was "I Believe in you." Toby is an encourager and likes to be encouraged. On Mondays at his school they have a morning assembly. Where all the kids get together in the gym. At the gym kids are handed out awards for cool things like, responsibility, integrity, honesty, etc.etc. The teachers nominate their students and they award the kids at the assembly. Whenever Toby's friends in his class receive awards. There is what I would call a golf clap going on. The kids are clapping. Parents are gathered around the outskirts of the gym clapping and smiling and the child walks up to get their award. Well Toby thinks it's the coolest thing when one of his friends gets an award. I laughed at him the first time he did it because of his enthusiasm. His friend Chloe got her award this year. She is in the "other" Kindergarten class, but because he knew her he was so excited she got the award. He started fist pumping and hooting and hollering and yelled, "WAY TO GO CHLOE!" He really like to see his friends succeed.

Well, this past week... Toby was walking into school. He was a little needy getting ready for school. Wanting hugs, asking me if I was coming to see him at lunch. Coming back to the house on his way to walk to school and told me his legs were cold. There was one thing after another. He never does this. Normally, he goes off to school with no problems. He is excited for gym class, he can't wait for lunchtime or showing his show and tell item. They also have this system in place so kids can learn classroom behavior. If they are doing something that doesn't coincide with how the class operates... or is not ok. They have them color in a rectangle. Toby has started to associate if he colors in a rectangle it defines who he is. Everyday he tells me if he colored in a rectangle. I've been trying to focus on other things in class so he doesn't get so preoccupied with the rectangles. Anyway, I put him in my van and I drove him to school and dropped him off. I gave him a hug and prayed for him. He ran up to the school and stopped about halfway and yelled, "Hey MOM!" I said, "Yes Toby? He said, " Can you say, I BELIEVE IN YOU... because it helps me not get rectangles." This was so out of the blue. I must have told him I believed in him one morning and he remembered. And he needed to hear it so badly... he asked for it.

Both of these examples are sometimes what I need to do as an adult. How many times to I believe the lie that God wants me to be perfect in order for him to love me? How many times do I need to hear from God, I BELIEVE IN YOU. Maybe when I'm not sure I can do it all by myself. My kids really bless me in so many ways... I thought I'd share a couple of them. lv, jen