My daughter and I were walking in a department store one day when she saw an outdoor swing on display and darted toward it. As I caught up to her I realized she wasn’t excited to see the swing. She was excited to be the display by swinging on the swing. She wanted to sit in it and rock back and forth and feel the blades of artificial turf under her feet. She wanted to feel the gentle indoor breeze brush across her face while breathing in the sweet fragrance of department store number 05.
And this made complete sense to her. Why else would you have a swing displayed, other than to swing on it? To her, the question wasn’t why you shouldn’t, but why you wouldn’t. To her walking by not taking the time to sit and relax was crazy talk. Because that’s what it’s made for. And although she is right, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Can we mom? Can we swing on it?”
All I could think of was how silly it was. I cared more about what the people in the store would think than taking a moment to see my daughter smile. I cared more about being labeled crazy and improper. I cared about being stared at and talked about. And I didn’t want to stick out and be different. Or be noticed. I don’t like to be noticed. I would rather go on my merry way blending in with everyone. And go with the crowd.
But God says, “Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image.”
And I’m certain this is why my daughter has the personality she has. She has been pulling me out of my box since the day she could talk. Which as the Lord would have it was early. She astounds me. She always has. She sees life so innocent and uncomplicated. I don’t want that to change in her. And in that moment with the outdoor swing display in the indoor department store, my eyes are opened. I could see how my decisions and reactions were going to influence her. And I don’t want to be the reason she loses her sweet innocence.
I can vaguely remember my childhood innocence. The innocent time before I began to care more about what others thought. The time before I began to conform to what everyone else was doing instead of just doing me. Before I began to let others define me by my outward appearance. Like when I was little enough for my mom to hold me and tell me how beautiful and special I was because of what was on the inside. And I believed it. The time before I thought my identity had to be achieved by worldly standards. That innocent time when I accepted my identity from my Creator without question. When I was content with who He said I was. And I embraced that. And I lived like that. Without a care.
And there have been many defining moments that I am processing through. Lies that I allowed myself to be true. Crossroads. Forks in the roads that I allowed to change me into someone I was never meant to be. But in this moment, at this time in the department store somewhere between the clothes and the patio furniture, I paused. To change my mind.
(to) “be transformed from the inside out by renewing my mind.”
“Can we mom? Can we swing on it?”
All I could think of was replacing the lie. The lie that I am supposed to do what everyone else is doing. The lie that I needed to care more about what people think that what God thinks. The lie that I am supposed to be quiet and unnoticed and go with the flow. Because that’s what everyone else is doing.
“Ok, let’s do it!” I told her.
It was one of those defining moments. Where I decided to quit worrying about what everyone else is doing. It was a crossroad where I realized I can’t follow the world and Christ at the same time. And I made my choice. And we spent the next few blissful minutes swinging. And I have been living every moment He gives me since with a renewed mind. And those lies are mostly gone. And when they creep back in, I just go for a swing.
Swing.with.me?
“As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills
and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.”
Romans 12:2 || The Voice
And this made complete sense to her. Why else would you have a swing displayed, other than to swing on it? To her, the question wasn’t why you shouldn’t, but why you wouldn’t. To her walking by not taking the time to sit and relax was crazy talk. Because that’s what it’s made for. And although she is right, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Can we mom? Can we swing on it?”
All I could think of was how silly it was. I cared more about what the people in the store would think than taking a moment to see my daughter smile. I cared more about being labeled crazy and improper. I cared about being stared at and talked about. And I didn’t want to stick out and be different. Or be noticed. I don’t like to be noticed. I would rather go on my merry way blending in with everyone. And go with the crowd.
But God says, “Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image.”
And I’m certain this is why my daughter has the personality she has. She has been pulling me out of my box since the day she could talk. Which as the Lord would have it was early. She astounds me. She always has. She sees life so innocent and uncomplicated. I don’t want that to change in her. And in that moment with the outdoor swing display in the indoor department store, my eyes are opened. I could see how my decisions and reactions were going to influence her. And I don’t want to be the reason she loses her sweet innocence.
I can vaguely remember my childhood innocence. The innocent time before I began to care more about what others thought. The time before I began to conform to what everyone else was doing instead of just doing me. Before I began to let others define me by my outward appearance. Like when I was little enough for my mom to hold me and tell me how beautiful and special I was because of what was on the inside. And I believed it. The time before I thought my identity had to be achieved by worldly standards. That innocent time when I accepted my identity from my Creator without question. When I was content with who He said I was. And I embraced that. And I lived like that. Without a care.
And there have been many defining moments that I am processing through. Lies that I allowed myself to be true. Crossroads. Forks in the roads that I allowed to change me into someone I was never meant to be. But in this moment, at this time in the department store somewhere between the clothes and the patio furniture, I paused. To change my mind.
(to) “be transformed from the inside out by renewing my mind.”
“Can we mom? Can we swing on it?”
All I could think of was replacing the lie. The lie that I am supposed to do what everyone else is doing. The lie that I needed to care more about what people think that what God thinks. The lie that I am supposed to be quiet and unnoticed and go with the flow. Because that’s what everyone else is doing.
“Ok, let’s do it!” I told her.
It was one of those defining moments. Where I decided to quit worrying about what everyone else is doing. It was a crossroad where I realized I can’t follow the world and Christ at the same time. And I made my choice. And we spent the next few blissful minutes swinging. And I have been living every moment He gives me since with a renewed mind. And those lies are mostly gone. And when they creep back in, I just go for a swing.
Swing.with.me?
“As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills
and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.”
Romans 12:2 || The Voice