Friday, February 22, 2008

WHO ARE WE, REALLY?

Yesterday, some of the grandkids came here after school. Here is Hollywood, being given a hug by her mom.

Do all kids do this, swing their feet off the floor when hugging a parent?


The kids had an afternoon snack and then got right to their homework. Here's Mary Poppins.



This is Jo Cool.



His older brother, Guitar Hero.


And since Hollywood is in preschool, she just laid back on the couch and watched TV or played. Her homework time is coming.


I wonder who they will become. Will they grow up and do great things or be just ordinary? Will they save the world, save the rain forests or save the dolphins?
And which is best anyway? Doing great things, saving something? Could ordinary be just as important?
I watched Oprah today, parts of three shows I had recorded. When movie stars came on stage the audience went wild. A couple of women in the audience looked like they were going to faint from excitement. Would they have done the same if they had hung around after the show and someone came out with a push broom and swept up the studio floor? Not likely. And why not?

We are all children of God. We are children of GOD! All of us. We were worthy to be born here, to have this earthly experience and then one day to return to him. Not all of us will have it easy. Not all of us will make women in the audience faint. Some of us will only hear the sounds of crickets when it is our turn to walk on stage.

Which brings me back to these four children. They will each choose different things to do in life. Will one feel more important than the other? Will one be happy for the other, watching the other do something that the world will applaud? Will they be jealous or petty? Or will they be genuinely happy for the success of each other? Will they stay close and loving or will they all go their separate ways and not see much of each other? Isn't staying close as a family part of success?

And what defines success anyway? Why do we let the "world" define what success is when we have our Heavenly Father cheering us on, when He knows we are doing what the two of us probably discussed before we left Him?

And why do we forget? We are important, each of us. We are doing important things, even if we are doing stupid stuff. We learn by doing stupid stuff. Some of us-cough,beenthere,donethat,cough-have to do lots of stupid stuff to learn. Then we go on to lead ordinary lives but I think our Heavenly Father doesn't count us as ordinary. I think He stands on the sidelines, cheering and clapping. "Way to go, daughter. Way to go, son." When we stumble and fall I think he says something like, "It's okay. You are going to be all right."

So, tonight, if you are feeling unimportant--if you are feeling crummy about yourself or think you don't count then I am the voice on the Internet saying you are important. You are a child of God. That's better than being the child of a King or the child of the President of a country. There isn't anything more important that that. There isn't anyone more important than you. It doesn't matter what you have accomplished or not. You are valuable and your Heavenly Father cherishes you. He adores you. You are going to be all right.

This is what I believe. I hope you do too.

Now, because I am human I will be down on myself from time to time so when that happens will you spit this back at me? I promise to do the same for you. Except for the spitting part. That just isn't tidy.

11 comments:

idahohubers said...

Well said - I really love this post! You asked if you could see the wedding photos I shot - OF COURSE! I love pictures and I love to look at everyone else's pictures. Check out my website or blog to see the latest. I don't have many posted of that particular day though, but a few of other weddings. www.lisahuberphotography.com

Mental P Mama said...

Lynne, I think you missed your calling. That was wonderful, and by the way, I was Mary Poppins, too! Because I was always floating around in the clouds. I think it still applies.

Anonymous said...

that was a great post. I often wonder how my boys will "turn out". They are almost out of college and ready to be out on their own, seizing their own lives. Will they stay close? Be happy? Have great marriages? Have healthy, happy, kids? Will there be jealously between them?

I guess time will tell.

Cindy Price said...

Lynne, I just want to give you a big hug!!! I'm so glad you are out there blogging!! Your posts are so insightful!! Thank you!!

Laura ~Peach~ said...

AMEN what a lovely post! Its funny the things I thought my kids might turn out to be... so far my son has totally taken his own road and I am so Proud of what he has become... A Police man. This is the kid who in middle school was in trouble often (big trouble not little trouble) and struggled in High school with the trouble reputation that he had not totally earned.
It does my little heart good to see his old principle stammer a bit when he sees him in Uniform! the kid doomed to bad has shown that things thought are not always deserved or earned~
My daughter is still young at 16 but she has HUGE dreams and hopefully the next 3 and a half years of high school won't change her goals and dreams and hopefully she and her brother will remain as close as they are now.

Judy said...

Wonderful post! Aren't grandchildren just so precious?

Thanks for your recent visit to "My Front Porch".

Kathy said...

I love reading your words. This 'essay' was great. Thank you!

VaQueenBee said...

Well said! What an excellent post!!! Thank you for sharing your heart!

Aprilyn said...

I promise to tell you this anytime you need to hear it. I had never thought of Heavenly Father cheering me on. That's AWESOME!

Catherine said...

I come from "SMALL THINGS", and it seems that you and Cindy aren't sharing "small things" at all with us but the Essence of the life. I will come back not to forget this lesson of life, and I will try to share your words with my kid, keeping the "mind"of your post.

Astromom said...

This was very uplifting for me, thank you.