matters of the heart

About a year and a half ago I became increasingly weary of seeing half-naked ladies lying around my little girl's room.  These weren't just any naked ladies, these were my daughter's prized possessions {though I didn't know it at the time}.  I have never been a fan of Barbies, with their ridiculously disproportionate bodies and their propensity towards flagrant immodesty, but each one had been given to her as a gift from someone who loves her very much.  We decided at the time to let her keep them, but were growing very tired of seeing their unclad bodies strewn about.  {Let's be honest, even when Barbies do have clothes on, they leave little to the imagination.}  Barbie just wasn't a role model I wanted for my girls, so in a moment of unthinking and unplanned rashness I scooped all of them up, threw them in a box, and told my sweet girl that it was time for her to have a break and we would find something a little more tasteful for her to play with.

Problem solved. {Not hardly! This is why parenting on the fly is not always a good idea for me.}

What I had done in that single moment was break my daughter's heart, and help her to open up her heart to a little plastic idol that has resided there ever since.  She became obsessed.  OBSESSED.  Anytime we were in a store, she would beg to go down "that" aisle, she would draw pictures of Barbies, make Barbies out of paper, request to play Barbie on the computer, play Barbies at her friends house, beg to watch Barbie movies at other's houses'.  Barbie, Barbie, Barbie!!!  

I naively thought that if I removed the object, then the need for said object would gradually fade.  Why...?   I'm have no idea.  It's never worked for me.  Have you ever tried to give up sugar for an extended period of time?  Did you just stop thinking about it after a couple of days.  I sure didn't.  {but maybe that's a personal problem.}

So yesterday when my daughter had begged for the forth or fifth time to just look at her Barbies in the box, I knew I needed to rethink the way I had been handling things.  We didn't get them back out, but sat down to have a light hearted chat about the sin of idolatry and how it can so easily capture our hearts.  Though her eyes immediately glazed over, I'm pretty sure she was listening.  After talking for a couple of minutes I realized I needed a different strategy.  This girl hates to be talked at.  So I asked her to draw a picture of her heart and exactly how the love was divided up inside her.  She was more than happy to comply.  {She loves to draw about as much as she hates to listen}

The picture of her "heart" hanging on her bulletin board - to "always remind her."

Once she saw her finished product I could tell she was a little shocked, she said "I think I need to pray about this right now".  Her simple prayer went something like this "Dear Jesus, please help me never to love my things more that I loved You.  If things do become more important to me than You, would you please take them away."  Needless to say, her simple prayer convicted me.  I too am guilty of things, people, hopes, or dreams becoming more important to me than Christ.  After the prayer she looked up at me with her big blue eyes glowing, "Mom!  My heart actually feels lighter, I had a 'burden' just like the 'Pilgrim'".  

- Oh Thank you Lord for doing what I cannot {but for some reason still try to do} in the hearts of my children.  Thank you for giving us Your Holy Spirit to convict us and please help me to remember that I am NOT Him, in my life, or the lives of my children!

We decided together after talking and praying {and me apologizing for my snap decision} that the Barbies would come back out, but if she felt that they were starting to consume her heart she would ask me to hide them for a while until she could regain focus.  And the beauty of this, is that I know that she will.  It so amazing as a parent to see the Lord convict your children and know because He has worked in them there will be a real transformation!  

So the Barbies {though still not my favorite} have rejoined our lives with new, more modest wardrobes {patterns from craftiness is not optional} and a simple request that they keep their clothes on in all situations that Anya* would as well.  

Now...why didn't I think to do this a year and a half ago?  

*All stories about my kids, that can read this blog, have been used with their permission.  My goal is not to embarrass them, but to share where they are at as they grow and change on this journey we call life.  We all make mistakes and are just as happy to share our victories as we are our shortcomings.