Who in your life inspires you?
For me, it is my kids.
One of my heroes is my son.
I want to be like my son when I grow up.
Why, you ask?
I learn so much from him. For example:
1.) He loves people. All people. He wants to be with people even when those same people blatantly ignore him and are rude to him. He will go out of his way to get that person to acknowledge him. (Ok, so that can get annoying but still, persistence can be a virtue.)
2.) He is helpful and believes in holding the door open for a stranger; or, if someone drops something, he rushes to pick it up for them. (I just wish he understood that I needed him to pick up his room.)
3.) He loves all animals…well, except spiders.
4.) He doesn’t understand why people litter and ruin the earth.
5.) He loves God. He doesn’t understand how anyone could not believe in God or not love Him. My son is bold about God with people.
One of my other heroes is my daughter.
A beautiful young woman.
My daughter and I are struggling through this new season of life where she has moved out on her own, has gotten married, and is trying to tear herself away from me and my Velcro-like grasp.
I admire how she has taken this new adventure by the horns and plowed on toward independence and growth. She is not letting other people’s opinions hold her back from building her life with her new husband. She is not letting her mother put a knot the apron strings; no, she has cut them.
Wait, I am the parent. It should be the other way around.
Some of you may think that my kids learned this from me or their father. I mean, aren’t we their parents? Shouldn’t they have learned from us?
Technically, yes.
Yet, when I reflect on my kids, I have learned of my many failures as a mother.
1.) At times, I am rude to people and don’t want to be bothered by them. (I hate to admit it, but my family gets the worst of it.)
2.) If someone wants to ignore me, fine, I’m OK with that.
3.) Animals? Well, I am getting better. I like cats, does that count?
4.) I don’t take the extra few minutes to rinse out the cans and jars and recycle them.
5.) I am not as bold about my faith. I can see why people turn away from God and let that stop me from my duty as a Jesus follower.
6.) I took too long to cut the apron strings from my mother and cleave to my husband.
7.) I worry/worried too much about others’ opinions.
It amazes me how two people that inspire me so much are the same two people who bring to light my shortcomings.
At the same time, I am so thankful that God brought those two into my life so that I can see what I need to work on. It means that I am not done yet. It means I get to lean on God more and grow under His loving hand.
OK, enough about me. What about you? Who has God put in your life to inspire and spur you on?
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