I have struggled with a popularity issue all of my life. (Haha, I just re-read this line and it reads like I've struggled with being too popular all of my life! If only... but seriously...)
Realistically, it's only within the last year that I've "come into myself" and finally realized that I'm happy in my own skin. It was a virtual slap in the face the way it all came about, but nonetheless, I got there. But the reality is, don't we all try to fit in... to be likable and fun... to please everyone around us?
There is so much pressure involved in trying to please everyone all the time. It's not possible. Not everyone is going to like you. You cannot be everything to everyone. It took me 36 years to figure that out. So now, having freed myself of the pitfalls of popularity and trying to be everything to everyone, how do I transfer my new found awareness to my girls? How do I convey to them to be comfortable in their own skin, when I have just figured things out myself?
Any insight is appreciated.
Dear Lord, help me to convey to my girls that they are precious, made wholly by You, to be the girls You set them apart to be, before they were knit together in my womb. Give me wisdom and insight into their emotional and physical needs so that they will look to You for approval, not to the world. You gave these girls to me for a reason, help me Lord to do right by them.
And finally, thank you for healing me of the pressures of popularity. We are to be set apart from the world, not conformed to it. Please Lord, continue to renew my mind every day, so as not to fall prey to the lie of popularity again. Amen.
amen and amen
ReplyDeleteBeautiful prayer...one I needed to hear for M. Thanks for sharing~
ReplyDeletevery timely stuff. you got me thinking, going to write a lot on this tonight.
ReplyDeletegreat post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Erica! I relate to that as well. It's been a tough couple of days w/me and G. "sigh"
ReplyDeleteYou're soo right. I, however, always liked you for the person you are. Don't think we ever had to pretend being anything else when we met.
ReplyDeleteBeing brought up in Europe (and even in Denmark) in the late 60's and early 70's I was taught that boys are no better that girls (my Dad had 3 girls) and that you can do most things if you set your mind to it. This is what I tried to teach me daughters together with "If you really did your best nobody can expect any more than that".