Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. Proverbs 29:25 (NLT)
My oldest daughter is a cerebral introvert, which means that she processes everything internally. As her extroverted “feeling” mother, I am usually clueless as to what she’s thinking because she doesn’t express her emotions in real time! Recently, God used our differences to connect to him in a new way.
It happened during one of our many family dance parties. My three girls and I were flitting around like butterflies when my oldest daughter stopped abruptly and said, “I just don’t get it! I don’t know what to do with my body and I don’t want people to laugh at me.”
I felt shocked! We were her FAMILY! If she felt this way with us, how was she feeling with other people?! My mind raced.
Unsure of what to do next, I just kind of stood there (which is uncharacteristic of me), but this pause allowed God to give me an idea.
“What if you closed your eyes during the music and moved however you wanted.”
She looked at me like I was kidding, so I added that closing our eyes helps us shut out distractions and connect to what matters most (God).
She smiled.
We grabbed hands, closed our eyes, and started moving to the classical music. At first, I could tell she was still in her head, but then all of a sudden the Holy Spirit moved!
“MOM!” she blurted out. “I can SEE the music! I can see the trees swaying in the wintertime……oh mom, it’s so beautiful……It’s also kind of sad too…..like when Jesus died.”
My eyes popped open then to see what she was doing, and there I saw her — stretching up her arms like a tree, swaying and worshipping God.
This got me thinking: how can we expect to parent our kids the way God wants us to if we are focused on everyone else BUT him?! When we do this, we miss out on the greater lesson — that our perfect God is helping us connect to his children!
So I encourage you today to shut out your distractions and just close your eyes. Be still. Say a prayer. Maybe even lift up your arms like a tree and worship him. Whatever you do, remember that it’s not about pleasing other people in our mothering. It’s about trusting HIM (Proverbs 29:25).
Journal / Reflection Questions
- What is your greatest distraction today?
- What can you do to shut it out and focus only on God?
Jonna Meidal is a mother to 3 girls who seeks to parent them by the fruits of the spirit (and her Quiet Hat). She’s been to 20 countries (yay!), loves to write & laugh (a LOT), & can’t get through the day without eating popcorn (duh!). You can read more of what she’s been up to at jonnameidal.com or follow her adventures on Instagram @quiet.hat.adventures.