This girl is way too much like her mother. We both struggle with the label s-h-y. I am terrible at small talk, dislike talking on the phone, and avoid conflict. I have even been known to allow people to call me and my children the wrong names without correcting them. I am embarrassed to even write that last sentence.
I was thinking about all of this on my drive home from my parent's house yesterday and the verse from 2 Timothy 1:7 kept coming to mind. It says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." And that's exactly what I need - and what I need to help nurture in all my children. Power, love, and self-discipline. Seems like a huge mountain right now, but thankfully those are God's gifts to bestow.
So pray for my daughter this afternoon as she once again faces a challenge, not just the dentist, but that pesky old spirit of timidity that will rear it's head again today.
UPDATE: The dentist was a disaster. Unfortunately she zipped up those lips and would not cooperate, and we even got a tantrum as we were heading back out to the waiting room to wait for Matt to finish up.
Thanks for sharing - once again. I feel like I am continually saying that...but I feel so, not alone in the world. I am just like you - I am so shy (unless you know me, and that's pretty normal)but yeah...people have pronounced Liliana's name wrong and I just let it be. What am I teaching her? I have always felt my name is important and I want my kids to feel the same - yet, I am not an advocate for them. I feel like I am way too much of a people pleaser and I wonder...when am I going to be an adult (because even though I am an adult with all these adult things going on, I still feel 18 or something) and stand up for myself - and my kids!?
ReplyDeleteMy prayer has been to remind myself to find my identity in Christ and not worry about what the world things of me and be myself and stand up for myself. So - 1 Timothy is excellent for me to hear today!