The Big Surprise... Oh No!

What does it take for you to feel significant and valuable? Do you get your sense of worth from that long-worked-for college degree? Or perhaps you've always felt less valuable because you didn’t go to college? Maybe you get your sense of value from your job or how much money you make, how many friends you have, how you look, how your house looks, the clothes you wear, or the car you drive.  

Here's a big one for moms.  Do you get your sense of worth from how your children behave or what they accomplish? As moms, we invest so much of ourselves in our children that when they behave well, we feel so validated. And when they mess up, we can feel like failures.

When my son, Mark, was in preschool, he was really excited for the Mother’s Day program. The morning of the program I dressed him in an adorable new  outfit. He had his little “toys ‘r us” back pack on, and hand in hand, we walked to school. We moms were all seated, waiting for the program to begin. The little ones began walking into the room.They all looked so cute in their special little outfits. And then walked in... Mark.

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Well, he evidently had a few accessories in his cute little backpack that I didn’t know about. He proudly walked in with his coveted coonskin cap on his head, a pirate patch over one eye, and a toy gun stuffed down the front of his pants!  

Oh, but Mark wasn’t done surprising me that morning. The children had a song to sing. One of the little boys had been given the weighty task of keeping a steady beat on the drum while Mark, at the opposite end of the row, was wildly playing the air drum to a song that only he could hear!

Aah, but he still wasn’t done surprising me. You see, there was a poem... The children all recited in unison (complete with hand motions) this sweet poem about a seed that was planted in the ground. There was a spring rain, sunshine, and finally a beautiful flower grew out of the soil. All the little hand flowers were waving at their mommies. The poem was supposed to end there... 
(I really wish it had.)

Suddenly, Mark stood up and I heard my precious little armed, air drumming pirate with the coonskin cap announce:  “And then the poor flower... died. The end.”   

Well, at that point all the little girls gasped, and the little boys were rolling around on the floor laughing, which I’m sure is precisely the reaction Mark was looking for.  And I was on the front row trying to discreetly motion for him to s-i-t  d-o-w-n! 
(While trying to think of a way to convince everyone that "I'm just his caregiver and I really don't even know the family very well.")

Well, I have to tell you, walking home from that program I felt like a complete failure.  Why was my son the only child to behave like that?I was so embarrassed and I just knew that the other mothers must think I was a terrible mom.  

Fortunately for both Mark and myself, I quickly came to appreciate and enjoy his unique spin on life. But, I have to admit that there were times when I either saw myself as a failure or a success depending on how my children behaved or what they accomplished.

What about you? Today, where do you search for significance and worth? If you seek it from anyone or anything in this world, you will be very disappointed. The value that comes from things of this world is temporary and relative. You can mess up with your kids, lose your job, your home, or your looks. You can disappoint people and lose family and friends.

What is it in your life;  the thing, that if you lost it or really messed it up, would leave you feeling worthless and without value?

I love this!

"35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  “38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   

Romans 8:35,37-39  NIV

 Christ's love gives us value. 
Nothing can separate us from His love. 
Nothing in all creation can take our God-given worth away.

Our significance comes from Him alone! 

What a relief and a comfort!  

 Has your sense of self-worth ever been shaken?
I'd love to hear from you!

 Living in His grace! 
Mary
P.S.  Mark is now 24 years old and I still have his coonskin cap! 

   I'd like to invite you to visit 

What Joy is Mine, Women Living Well 
New Life Steward, Finding Joy, Intentional.Me 
Womanhood with Purpose , Beholding Glory 
Titus 2 Tuesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her House 

and treat yourself to a few minutes of enjoyable reads!