ENGAGING THOUGHT
It seems like one of the joked-about-but-not-really-funny values of our culture is the expectation that upon leaving childhood and entering that awkward phase of adolescence we are "supposed" to attempt being the opposite of what the adults in our life expect of us - especially our parents.
CAVEAT: before we go any further down this track, some of you may have already stopped paying attention because the nature of your up-bringing - maybe even the specific things said to you as a child/teen - were too hurtful or abusive to have any value. I won't insult you by suggesting that those things are easily discounted. You may have to dig a little deeper or enlarge the circle a bit further, maybe to a beloved teacher, Sunday School leader, Scout-leader, kind neighbor, whoever. Suffice it to say, however, no matter what specific "baggage" you bring into adulthood, God's grace and healing can lead you forward into healing and health.
Growing up, when my parents shared stories about me it was guaranteed that two things would be included: 1) I am constitutionally incapable of remaining mad more than a few moments; 2) I was always smiling (I kid-you-not, they called me "Sunny-Billy"). They would regale (bore) their friends with tales of how I'd stomp off to my room and slam the door whenever I got mad, only to reemerge 20 seconds later as if nothing had ever irked me. I'm still that way (though I've given up on door-slamming and foot-stomping). They also recall that I was always the one getting in the middle of neighbor-kid disputes, trying to bring resolution and reconciliation so we could get back to the serious business of freeze-tag and digging mud-holes. That was an almost daily occurrence in our neighborhood.
What about you? Are there recurrent themes in your childhood? What sort of stories (legends!) about your growing-up years are shared at family reunions? Peel back the layers a little and see if there are trends. Could they indicate that there was more going on than just random events? Maybe some of your God-designed "wiring" was at work? Looking backward you might be amazed at how consistent your behavior may have unwittingly been. Were you the type of kid that tore-apart the family appliances (with or without permission)? Were you the one rescuing wounded animals (or making the animals wounded)? Daydreamer? Artistic? Daredevil? The patterns and trends might reveal more about God's purposes and designs for you than you ever realized.
It takes a conscious choice or a consistent influence (unfortunately for some, this is where an abusive upbringing can have lasting impact) for us to behave contrary to the unique characteristics and personality traits God has given us - a level of conscious awareness that children rarely display. It's not surprising then to think that children (yes, even teenagers!) may often display traits and patterns that reveal some of their unique God-given design.
"Aaaugghhh!! They are so uncool...like...seriously...right?"In some circles it's perceived as rebellion (and may very well be, depending on the motivation and severity), others just call it teen anxst...and write grunge music about it. With this in mind, it may seem counter-intuitive to consider that one method for helping identify the nature of God's DREAM for our lives can be found in listening to all those varying voices around us - especially as we were growing up.
CAVEAT: before we go any further down this track, some of you may have already stopped paying attention because the nature of your up-bringing - maybe even the specific things said to you as a child/teen - were too hurtful or abusive to have any value. I won't insult you by suggesting that those things are easily discounted. You may have to dig a little deeper or enlarge the circle a bit further, maybe to a beloved teacher, Sunday School leader, Scout-leader, kind neighbor, whoever. Suffice it to say, however, no matter what specific "baggage" you bring into adulthood, God's grace and healing can lead you forward into healing and health.
Growing up, when my parents shared stories about me it was guaranteed that two things would be included: 1) I am constitutionally incapable of remaining mad more than a few moments; 2) I was always smiling (I kid-you-not, they called me "Sunny-Billy"). They would regale (bore) their friends with tales of how I'd stomp off to my room and slam the door whenever I got mad, only to reemerge 20 seconds later as if nothing had ever irked me. I'm still that way (though I've given up on door-slamming and foot-stomping). They also recall that I was always the one getting in the middle of neighbor-kid disputes, trying to bring resolution and reconciliation so we could get back to the serious business of freeze-tag and digging mud-holes. That was an almost daily occurrence in our neighborhood.
What about you? Are there recurrent themes in your childhood? What sort of stories (legends!) about your growing-up years are shared at family reunions? Peel back the layers a little and see if there are trends. Could they indicate that there was more going on than just random events? Maybe some of your God-designed "wiring" was at work? Looking backward you might be amazed at how consistent your behavior may have unwittingly been. Were you the type of kid that tore-apart the family appliances (with or without permission)? Were you the one rescuing wounded animals (or making the animals wounded)? Daydreamer? Artistic? Daredevil? The patterns and trends might reveal more about God's purposes and designs for you than you ever realized.
It takes a conscious choice or a consistent influence (unfortunately for some, this is where an abusive upbringing can have lasting impact) for us to behave contrary to the unique characteristics and personality traits God has given us - a level of conscious awareness that children rarely display. It's not surprising then to think that children (yes, even teenagers!) may often display traits and patterns that reveal some of their unique God-given design.
ACTION STEP
Today's ACTION STEP shouldn't come as a big surprise: take a few moments and list some of the things that were said about you growing up. Did your parents (or other familiar adults) often tell specific stories about you? Can you recall being told something to the effect of, "You're always...," or "We could always count on you to..."? If you're having a difficult time recalling, contact an older relative (if you have any available to contact) and ask them.
Look through your list of stories of traits and see if any obvious patterns emerge.
Tomorrow we'll take an unashamed look at our awesomeness (or at least the things we're pretty good at).
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