You know how that old saying goes - "Imitation is the highest form of flattery." Or, if you have children, imitation can be the greatest source of regret to you as you see your own bad behavior mirrored back to you in them.
The first time I heard my son use the slang word, "Dangit," he was not even two years old yet! Oh how that hit me hard. It is not as if I was worried too much about the word itself, but something so foreign out of his mouth obviously came from one source - this lady who he spends his whole day with, watching, listening to and learning from. Children long to be like their mommmies and daddies. It is a scary and huge responsibility that we have been given to model gentle, loving, appropriate behavior! But, when one of my children imitates something good that I've done, it leaves me feeling tickled. It brings me an overwhelming understanding of their love for me.
My journey as a mom has taught me boundless truths about God's love for us, his children. This is yet another. Ephesians 5:1-2 says to "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. and live a life of love." I long to imitate my God more than anything in this life. This verse goes on to say that Christ was a "fragrant offering" to God. Oh how I desire to be such a good imitator of Him that my fragrance wafts up to Heaven's gate. Picture it with me, dear Soul Sisters. There He is - our Father. He closes His eyes, breathes in deep, and slowly a smile spreads across his face as He says, "Aaaaaahhhhhhh. Kelly has been acting like me again. It smells of her love for me this morning."
Send up your fragrances today, my sisters! Let Him know how desperately you love him and how you long to be just like your Daddy!
-Kelly T
Oh how I hate those imitations when you hear your little one say "Dangit" and then you say "Dangit" that they've heard you say it in the first place. I always am sad when I realize a fragment of innocence has been lost with one of my children. However, I am devestated when I realize that I was the source. How can they learn to model Christ if they don't have a model to go by when they're too young to study His word? Thanks for the reminder friend. I know that I will be watching myself a bit closer.
ReplyDeleteI can close my eyes and see our Father standing at the gates taking the sweet aromas in! Beautiful!
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