This week while Selah and I were in a store, the clerk asked her a question. Selah looked away and turned red. The clerk said “oh my you sure are shy!” I said “no! She’s a brave girl, aren’t you, Selah?” The clerk said “well I don’t think that’s true!” As we walked away I reminded Selah she is in no way required to accept that lady’s opinion.
When Asher was little, he was prone to fear. He would cry a lot and get upset. We knew the scripture from Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death. Those who love it will eat it’s fruit.” We decided to tell him who he was in light of the freedom Jesus offers. He is brave. He is fierce. He is smart, kind, and creative. He is loyal and wise.
The world is so full of opinions. Most of the time they are negative and critical. We decided that it would be really important to talk louder and with great authority if we wanted our kids to overcome them. We pray a lot about how Jesus sees our kids, what He has knit into their personalities and spirits. We speak that over them, even when it’s not playing out yet. Because we are their caretakers, responsible for tending the gardens of their little hearts. It’s our job to pull out weeds like the unintentional label the clerk assumed she had the right to plant in Selah’s identity.
Today, the same little boy who cried and didn’t want to try things went indoor sky diving and LOVED it. We are watching him eat the fruit of the truth planted in his heart by our words. I’m so thankful the Lord declares good things over us! I’m so glad He gives us a chance to raise our tiny humans to know those truths. I’m also thankful He is the ultimate gardener who will till the soil, and dig out lies that people have spoken over us that we’ve believed. The casual words that have taken root can be removed, burned, and good seed planted in its place. Our identity can be in Christ. Old made new. That’s a birthday truth to celebrate. Happy birthday to my brave warrior, Asher! Always be grounded in truth so you will be truly free to fly. 💙
