Faux Fur, Siblings and the Search for Significance: Do I Matter?
The argument must have lasted for 10 minutes.
And that’s an incredible length of time for such an inane debate. My son contended the fur trim on his coat was real; my daughter insisted otherwise. But I was suspicious of his vehemence and sidelined him afterwards for a conversation about it.
“I think you knew it wasn’t real,” I probed.
“Yeah,” came the bashful reply after some careful inspection of the carpet at his feet.
“So, why did you keep saying it was?”
“Because I wanted to be important.”
I was flabbergasted both by the candor and the self-awareness.
Being right, in his eyes, meant he mattered.
I summoned what little parental patience I seem to possess (please recall the argy-bargy I’d just endured for 10 minutes), and knelt down to meet him in this vulnerable expression of self-doubt.
We explored the conventional reasons people feel important and the ways they seek validation of them: being funny or smart, popular or athletic, cute (excuse me, handsome) or well-dressed. Truth be told, we’d both like to be all of them.
But none of these confer importance or significance. They are just shiny veneers on the purest gold:
God made him and me and you.
God. Of the universe. The one who created the earth and controls the oceans and winds. The one who dots the prairies with flowers and carves canyons deep.
I asked my son to number the students in his class. Then his school. We estimated the population of our city, state, country and world. We expanded that number to cover recorded history.
And then I whispered, “Even with all those people, God still wanted to make you.”
And the same is true for you, friend. With all those people you pass each day at the grocery, on the road, in school or at the office… God still wanted to make you.
You don’t have to do anything or be anything more than you already are.
You matter.
You are important.
You are loved.
Kirsten,
Thank you for this great message and for sharing your son’s story. It’s interesting isn’t it how we learn at a young age what we think makes us important. Praise God you are a mother who reinforces biblical truth into your children’s hearts – how bless they are to have your direction and love.
God bless you as you serve our King,
So thankful I matter to Him too, 🙂
Love, Hester 😉
The seeds of insecurity come out very early, don’t they, Hester. Thanks for your encouragement. And thanks for sharing it on Facebook and Twitter! You’re a champ!
Kirsten,
Thank you for this great message and for sharing your son’s story. It’s interesting isn’t it how we learn at a young age what we think makes us important. Praise God you are a mother who reinforces biblical truth into your children’s hearts – how bless they are to have your direction and love.
God bless you as you serve our King,
So thankful I matter to Him too, 🙂
Love, Hester 😉
The seeds of insecurity come out very early, don’t they, Hester. Thanks for your encouragement. And thanks for sharing it on Facebook and Twitter! You’re a champ!
Kirsten – I love this story. And I love how you got down to the nitty-gritty with your kiddo to show him how very much he matters! We all need to be reminded of that from time to time when the dust the world kicks up around us threatens to choke out any sense of awareness of a higher call as HIS child! Thanks for sharing this one today. 🙂
The beauty of this, Jeannette, was how much I needed to hear it myself. As I spoke the words to him, I tried to let them settle onto my own heart as well. God never wastes anything, does He?
Kirsten – I love this story. And I love how you got down to the nitty-gritty with your kiddo to show him how very much he matters! We all need to be reminded of that from time to time when the dust the world kicks up around us threatens to choke out any sense of awareness of a higher call as HIS child! Thanks for sharing this one today. 🙂
Kirsten – I love this story. And I love how you got down to the nitty-gritty with your kiddo to show him how very much he matters! We all need to be reminded of that from time to time when the dust the world kicks up around us threatens to choke out any sense of awareness of a higher call as HIS child! Thanks for sharing this one today. 🙂
The beauty of this, Jeannette, was how much I needed to hear it myself. As I spoke the words to him, I tried to let them settle onto my own heart as well. God never wastes anything, does He?
Thanks for this post. Going to be read at the dinner table tonight. Doubts about ‘do I matter’ (mostly with friends) are rearing their ugly head with my kiddos and this will be a great opportunity to reinforce that each person on this earth does!
Thanks for this post. Going to be read at the dinner table tonight. Doubts about ‘do I matter’ (mostly with friends) are rearing their ugly head with my kiddos and this will be a great opportunity to reinforce that each person on this earth does!
Thanks, Lisa! Please stop back by and let me know how it went. Praying your kids can absorb the truth of their preciousness tonight.
The seeds of insecurity come out very early, don’t they, Hester. Thanks for your encouragement. And thanks for sharing it on Facebook and Twitter! You’re a champ!
Love!!!
Love!!!
Love!!!
Love!!!
I can picture the scene in my mind and it is a precious “mom” moment or perhaps I should call it a “God” moment. I can hear you whisper “Even with all those people, God still wanted to make you.” Our kiddos need to hear it. I need to hear it…even though I know it well, the daily battles can wear me down. How can one tire of the reminder that with all our mighty Heavenly Father has made, that He indeed chose to make me, and you, and each one of us. It fills me with awe…again.
Thanks, Kirstin! Your comment encourages me and your faith inspires me!
I can picture the scene in my mind and it is a precious “mom” moment or perhaps I should call it a “God” moment. I can hear you whisper “Even with all those people, God still wanted to make you.” Our kiddos need to hear it. I need to hear it…even though I know it well, the daily battles can wear me down. How can one tire of the reminder that with all our mighty Heavenly Father has made, that He indeed chose to make me, and you, and each one of us. It fills me with awe…again.
Thanks, Kirstin! Your comment encourages me and your faith inspires me!
Beautiful, Kirsten. What an astute answer from your son, and you did such a great job in that teachable moment.
It’s nothing short of amazing, isn’t it? That in all of history, He still chose to make US. HE IS GOOD 🙂
Beautiful, Kirsten. What an astute answer from your son, and you did such a great job in that teachable moment.
It’s nothing short of amazing, isn’t it? That in all of history, He still chose to make US. HE IS GOOD 🙂
I loved it!
I loved it!
[…] matter how much or little I do, I am loved because God conferred His image upon me and chose to create me. I cannot do anything more to earn […]
[…] matter how much or little I do, I am loved because God conferred His image upon me and chose to create me. I cannot do anything more to earn […]
[…] matter how much or little I do, I am loved because God conferred His image upon me and chose to create me. I cannot do anything more to earn […]
[…] matter how much or little I do, I am loved because God conferred His image upon me and chose to create me. I cannot do anything more to earn […]
[…] ones that emanate from his earliest days in a Russian orphanage–and ache that he questions his value and worth. We sat together this morning and read from Zephaniah 3. We focused on just one […]
[…] ones that emanate from his earliest days in a Russian orphanage–and ache that he questions his value and worth. We sat together this morning and read from Zephaniah 3. We focused on just one […]
[…] ones that emanate from his earliest days in a Russian orphanage–and ache that he questions his value and worth. We sat together this morning and read from Zephaniah 3. We focused on just one […]