Anyone who has a strong-willed child can probably relate to hoping that those character traits that challenge us so fiercely now might be used to accomplish great things later on in life.
I've been known to refer to my youngest as "stubborn," "strong-willed," and "more challenging than the first" (which says a lot), but recently I also feel like the Lord has given me a little glimpse of how her personality is actually a blessing.
I first saw this glimmer as I observed her secretly one day from the hallway outside her cracked-open door. She played in her room alone (a rare event in and of itself), and I suddenly saw her faced with what would have been a frustrating situation.
She had just spent several minutes meticulously picking up toys and placing then in a bucket she carried, when she tripped and spilled them all back out on the floor. Rather than melting down when all the toys spontaneously spilled back out, she proceeded to simply begin the job again, unfazed by temporary failure.
As I watched her, the word that came to mind was RESOLVE.
This girl's got resolve-- I kept hearing it in my mind like the Lord was revealing a deep truth about her little character.
It was a hopeful glimpse of how the Lord could use her strong personality. I've been noticing it more in her now the more I look for it. Sometimes, yes, she's just an irrational three-year old, stubbornly throwing herself to the ground because she's not getting what she wants. But other times, I see her unlikely determination, and I pray that the Lord uses this trait mightily for His glory as she grows up.
Since that first day I noticed her resolve, it's a word that the Lord's been revealing to me (for me) in more than one way as well. I think shortly thereafter it came up in a sermon on a Sunday morning, and my eyes were again opened to the power of a determined individual.
For 2014, the word I felt was pressed on my heart was perseverance, so I don't think it's a coincidence that the Lord would use my daughter's strong resolve to encourage me. So often I want to wallow in my exhaustion, when I know He wants me to push through and be productive in what He's called me.
There's a time for rest, indeed. But there's also a time to be resolved and determined, and to persevere in the path where the Lord has us.
This is Day 26 of 31 Days of the Life Poetic. View the other posts in this series here.
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