New School Shoes
Once upon a time there was a little girl who got new school shoes. One of the rules of her house was that school shoes went to school while play shoes went outside to play and Sunday shoes went to church. I am sure the little girl's mother felt this rule was a great way to keep things organized and in proper condition for appropriate wearing at appropriate times.
But the little girl loved her new school shoes and she didn't want to wait until Monday morning to wear them for the first time. She had a certain level of respect for the shoe rule on Sunday morning but on Sunday evening she made a decision to wear her new school shoes to church. When it was time to leave, her parents noticed the new school shoes on her feet and instructed her to change to her Sunday shoes. She, of course, informed them that she wanted to wear her new school shoes instead. A stand-off developed and it became obvious to her parents that without a more escalated form of authoritative intervention the school shoes would not be coming off the little girl's feet - and the whole famiily would be late for church.
The parents told the little girl that if she didn't go and change shoes immediately, she would be left at home while everyone else went to church without her. The little girl did not move from her spot on the couch where she sat admiring her new school shoes. Her parents took a deep breath, walked out the door, got in the car and drove away.
Before you think the parents should have been reported to CPS, I'll tell you that they only drove around the corner before parking and walking back to the house to peek in the window. Can you guess what they saw? The little girl was still sitting on the couch admiring her new school shoes. You might think that a five-year-old would have some fear when left alone. She didn't. You might think there would be some remorse that her choice to defy the rules had led to being left behind. There wasn't. As a parent, I can only imagine the exasperation the little girl's parents felt as they went back in the house, removed her school shoes, put her Sunday shoes on her feet and left for church again.
The little girl and her older brother went to their class at church and when it was time for the worship service to begin, her parents watched as her older brother led her by the hand to the pew where they were sitting. One of her little hands was wrapped in her brother's hand and the other hand was holding her Sunday shoes. She sat through the worship service in her sock feet, occasionally cutting her blue eyes at her mother - in defiance??? or triumph??? or contemplating disciplinary action to come??? Who knows!
Parenting experts might say that this little girl was strong-willed, defiant and disobedient. I would agree. But I also see that she was crafted and designed by God with determination, strength, passion, and an ability to clearly define what she wanted and take action to achieve it. We are all created by God with certain personality traits that are His as well since we are created in His image. And those traits can be negative or positive depending on who is in control of them - God or our flesh and the enemy. And as He calls us to Himself and we receive His salvation, we are being transformed and conformed to the likeness of Christ and Spirit's fruit is in us. When that happens, our God-designed personality traits are being transformed and conformed as well. And we are given spiritual gifts when we are saved and those gifts are also chosen carefully based on who God created us to be and our personality enhances them, giving them wings to fly as they are developed and used in the Kingdom.
If she were given a personality profile, this little girl would likely score high on the 'dominant' factor, meaning that she is a person who is focused on shaping her environment by overcoming opposition to achieve results. And if she were given a spiritual gifts inventory, she would likely score high on the gifts of leadership and administration. And if she were given a Biblical personality profile, she would be most like Paul and Joshua. And if she were to examine her life, 40+ years after the shoe story, she would be able to see how God had formed her and shaped her by His design plan into a person who is used greatly in His kingdom purposes. But when she was sitting on the couch, admiring her new school shoes, who would have known??? If her parents had known she was to be a Paul or a Joshua, would they have handled the situation differently? And what was her sweet brother thinking she would become if she continued down that road of defiance!?! And what a high calling for a 5 year old! All she knew was that the shoe rule needed to be challenged for some reason... When she examines her life now does she see a life that reflects His image, behaves with His character and bears His fruit? And is her life a picture of fulfillment of her calling as she uses the resources given to her to advance His Kingdom by overcoming the opposition to achieve His desired results?
My heart tells me that in making choices and shaping her environment this little girl has sometimes been rebellious in her efforts to achieve the desired results. And at times she has been defeated when her means and methods did not make a difference. But I also feel that there have been many times when she has surrendered her whole being to God, telling Him to take the personality traits, the characterisitcs, the gifts, and the desires, and mold her into the person He crafted and designed her to be so that HE could change the world. In those times she has surely found her greatest reward.
So, parents, if you have a child like this one - whether 5 years old or 20 years old - pray that Father would help you see His design and then pray that He would help you know how to handle the responsibility of training a child to become a Paul or a Joshua or a David or a Solomon or an Esther or a Lydia for His Kingdom. And if you are a child who feels like you aren't achieving the results you want for yourself, pray that Father would help you see His design for your life and how beautifully He has crafted you to become an instrument in His Kingdom. And surrender it all to Him. Let Him mold you and shape you and teach you and direct you so that you can be the greatest thing He has in mind for you. Don't just rebel when things aren't going your way. Look to Him and His word - He'll show you when to put the school shoes on. I'm certain. I'm also certain He'll tell you when to take your shoes off for worship...
Joshua 5: 13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" 14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" 15 The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
Amy
But the little girl loved her new school shoes and she didn't want to wait until Monday morning to wear them for the first time. She had a certain level of respect for the shoe rule on Sunday morning but on Sunday evening she made a decision to wear her new school shoes to church. When it was time to leave, her parents noticed the new school shoes on her feet and instructed her to change to her Sunday shoes. She, of course, informed them that she wanted to wear her new school shoes instead. A stand-off developed and it became obvious to her parents that without a more escalated form of authoritative intervention the school shoes would not be coming off the little girl's feet - and the whole famiily would be late for church.
The parents told the little girl that if she didn't go and change shoes immediately, she would be left at home while everyone else went to church without her. The little girl did not move from her spot on the couch where she sat admiring her new school shoes. Her parents took a deep breath, walked out the door, got in the car and drove away.
Before you think the parents should have been reported to CPS, I'll tell you that they only drove around the corner before parking and walking back to the house to peek in the window. Can you guess what they saw? The little girl was still sitting on the couch admiring her new school shoes. You might think that a five-year-old would have some fear when left alone. She didn't. You might think there would be some remorse that her choice to defy the rules had led to being left behind. There wasn't. As a parent, I can only imagine the exasperation the little girl's parents felt as they went back in the house, removed her school shoes, put her Sunday shoes on her feet and left for church again.
The little girl and her older brother went to their class at church and when it was time for the worship service to begin, her parents watched as her older brother led her by the hand to the pew where they were sitting. One of her little hands was wrapped in her brother's hand and the other hand was holding her Sunday shoes. She sat through the worship service in her sock feet, occasionally cutting her blue eyes at her mother - in defiance??? or triumph??? or contemplating disciplinary action to come??? Who knows!
Parenting experts might say that this little girl was strong-willed, defiant and disobedient. I would agree. But I also see that she was crafted and designed by God with determination, strength, passion, and an ability to clearly define what she wanted and take action to achieve it. We are all created by God with certain personality traits that are His as well since we are created in His image. And those traits can be negative or positive depending on who is in control of them - God or our flesh and the enemy. And as He calls us to Himself and we receive His salvation, we are being transformed and conformed to the likeness of Christ and Spirit's fruit is in us. When that happens, our God-designed personality traits are being transformed and conformed as well. And we are given spiritual gifts when we are saved and those gifts are also chosen carefully based on who God created us to be and our personality enhances them, giving them wings to fly as they are developed and used in the Kingdom.
If she were given a personality profile, this little girl would likely score high on the 'dominant' factor, meaning that she is a person who is focused on shaping her environment by overcoming opposition to achieve results. And if she were given a spiritual gifts inventory, she would likely score high on the gifts of leadership and administration. And if she were given a Biblical personality profile, she would be most like Paul and Joshua. And if she were to examine her life, 40+ years after the shoe story, she would be able to see how God had formed her and shaped her by His design plan into a person who is used greatly in His kingdom purposes. But when she was sitting on the couch, admiring her new school shoes, who would have known??? If her parents had known she was to be a Paul or a Joshua, would they have handled the situation differently? And what was her sweet brother thinking she would become if she continued down that road of defiance!?! And what a high calling for a 5 year old! All she knew was that the shoe rule needed to be challenged for some reason... When she examines her life now does she see a life that reflects His image, behaves with His character and bears His fruit? And is her life a picture of fulfillment of her calling as she uses the resources given to her to advance His Kingdom by overcoming the opposition to achieve His desired results?
My heart tells me that in making choices and shaping her environment this little girl has sometimes been rebellious in her efforts to achieve the desired results. And at times she has been defeated when her means and methods did not make a difference. But I also feel that there have been many times when she has surrendered her whole being to God, telling Him to take the personality traits, the characterisitcs, the gifts, and the desires, and mold her into the person He crafted and designed her to be so that HE could change the world. In those times she has surely found her greatest reward.
So, parents, if you have a child like this one - whether 5 years old or 20 years old - pray that Father would help you see His design and then pray that He would help you know how to handle the responsibility of training a child to become a Paul or a Joshua or a David or a Solomon or an Esther or a Lydia for His Kingdom. And if you are a child who feels like you aren't achieving the results you want for yourself, pray that Father would help you see His design for your life and how beautifully He has crafted you to become an instrument in His Kingdom. And surrender it all to Him. Let Him mold you and shape you and teach you and direct you so that you can be the greatest thing He has in mind for you. Don't just rebel when things aren't going your way. Look to Him and His word - He'll show you when to put the school shoes on. I'm certain. I'm also certain He'll tell you when to take your shoes off for worship...
Joshua 5: 13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" 14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" 15 The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
Amy
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