My 8-year-old son, Sam, is playing flag football this fall.
It’s a new sport to him and he seems to be enjoying it. Being from Texas, I’m hoping he sticks with it because the dude is one big, solid muscle and could do some real damage on defense. 🙂
Anyhoo…
The other day at practice, I watched in horror as my child did something no kid should ever do on the football field.
He started break-dancing.
Now, I’m not talking a little shake of the tooshy and some minimal arms movements… No. I mean to tell you the kid was all over the place!
While standing on the defensive line listening to the coach talking, his feet started moving slowly at first. Within seconds, they were at warp speed going back and forth and up and down. Sam’s arms were moving in this direction and that direction. He was turning circles and jumping up and down.
I was mortified.
As he looked over at me after I yelled his name, I made it very apparent I wanted him to quit. He hung his head and obeyed.
Ten minutes later… the entire cycle of events begins again. He dances… I yell… he stops. And ten minutes after that, here we go again.
What was going on with this child?
After practice I asked him just that question and he said, “Mom… I’m sorry! I just had this song in my head and I had to dance!”
I love that kid. He lives boldly and I yelled it out of him. Great mom moment, eh?
When I thought more about it, I realized that Sam gave me a great example of the importance of being who you are and living authentically… rather than being weighed down by what others think.
He lives out loud. Take him or leave him… Sam is who Sam is.
Do you find that you change who you are or how you act based on who you’re around?
Yeah, me too sometimes.
Hang with me, here. As elementary as this information may be, what I’m about to share with you is a good reminder… and maybe you need to hear this today.
“God made you special and unique, with different ideas and thoughts and desires. There is no one else in the world like you! He created within you a longing to do something or be something and He knows those plans. God gave you specific gifts designed to bring Him glory and has equipped you to do every one of them. Be who you are called to be and change it for no one.”
I still don’t think the football field is an appropriate place for break-dancing (although pros do it in the end zone all the time), but I do love that my son is confident enough in knowing “who he is and whose he is” to do it without concern about what others think.
Here is what I want you to do today. Make a list of 10 things that make “you” unique and special. I’ll give you a few of mine as an example:
- I am a very loyal friend.
- God has given me the ability to speak His truths to others.
- I am generous financially when I see a need.
Got it? When finished, give this list to someone you trust and ask them to speak each one back to you… putting your name before each statement and changing it from 1st person to 3rd person. Like this…
- Carey, you are a very loyal friend.
- Carey, God has given you the ability to speak His truths to others.
- Carey, you are generous financially when you see a need.
I want you to hear these from someone else. It’s good medicine. 🙂
Beloved, God is so crazy about you! Believe without a doubt that He loves you just the way you are… the whole package. And I believe He loves it even more when we love ourselves, too.
Remember this…
“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching… Love like you’ll never be hurt… Sing like there’s nobody listening… And live like it’s heaven on earth.” (William W. Purkey)
©2010 careyscotttalks.com
