|
Wearing Your Own Shoe We were a family of 5 boys before the miracle of adoption came
to our family and we added 4 girls 8 months ago. The blessings little girls bring to a
family were heaped on us all at once: dressing
up like a princess, high-pitched giggles, baby dolls everywhere, and a new
genre of books: The "happily ever
after" with Prince Charming variety.
Something deep in a little girl’s heart wants to be delighted in,
pursued, and rescued. The tale of Cinderella is our girl's favorite. They especially love the part when the
wicked step-sisters are trying to cram their large feet into Cinderella's
dainty little glass slipper. They are
on the verge of their seats when the moment comes and the true owner of the
slipper is discovered. Why, it's only
Cinderella who fits this shoe! For her
it was made, and while the step-sisters looked ridiculous trying to make it
fit them, it was easy and natural for Cinderella to slip the shoe on. This story was my favorite as a child as well, and when I think
of it I am reminded to "wear my own shoe." I used to be very uncomfortable with who
God made me and how He wanted me to represent Him here on earth as an ambassador
for the Kingdom. I constantly felt
like the step-sisters did, trying to force myself to fit some uncomfortable
mold that was never designed for my "shape." It only grew worse when we began to home
school, as I was suddenly surrounded by a dizzying array of lifestyle
options. Home birthing, Homesteading,
Home cooking, Home made everything.....Oh dear, I just wanted to disciple our
kids, to really know them and have them know us, and most importantly to lead
them into a relationship where they would know God. Now I have to milk goats too? And grind wheat and learn to sew and raise
organic produce while starting a little business on the side? I was wiped out just chasing after the
active little boys we had, I couldn't fathom doing one more thing. The Lord had to speak to me, "Jenny, just do the One
thing." "Father, what one
thing do you mean? The home school
thing? The country lifestyle thing? The 'get organized and discipline your life
already' thing? WHICH ONE THING DO YOU
MEAN GOD?" And in that still
small voice He spoke to my spirit and said, "Love Me, Love
others....that's it." That's so
simple! I was getting so focused on
the methods and molds of others that I forgot I Corinthians 13. The more excellent way, the thing that
never fails, the greatest of all things:
LOVE. When the love of God gets
a hold of us and grips our hearts tight, there is no more doubts and
questions as to who we are or for what we were created. We were all created to love, and we can all
do that no matter what type of shoe we wear. So the bushman in I have a special place in my heart for home school families
still trying to find a shoe that fits.
They are devoted, dedicated, disciplined, and just want to find some
"lifestyle package" that will guarantee them happy, obedient
children who love the Lord. They will attempt to cram themselves into a variety of
ill-fitting shoes in order to go to this "happily ever after"
place. Yet their zeal and sincerity
often ends up in discouragement, as they can't understand why they can never
do it as well as those who promote X philosophy. The happiest, most well adjusted families
I've met have very little in common except that they love each other and they
love God. Some have lots of children,
some have one. Some live on the
mission field, some in a corn field.
Some are reserved, some are outgoing.
Some are called to invent a cure for cancer, others are called to hold
the hands of the ones who have cancer.
They represent vastly different types of churches or home
gatherings. There is no "one shoe" that can fit them all. They are comfortable and content in who God
made their family to be, and they are at peace in their own one-of-a-kind
shoe. Blessings, Jenny |