Fear of Rejection...

*I have tried to fix this post...to make it not one huge paragraph...but blogworld is not cooperating...so I apologize for the very long stream of thought...do you still love me?? (that will be funnier after you read this post...) :) Sitting at the lunch table with Eli today, I started asking him questions. "What is your very favorite thing to play" Hand on his chin, eyes gazing left... "Ummmm...cars." "What is your very favorite song?" "Ummmmm. I think Jesus." "Yes, we love to sing songs to Jesus." "Ummmm... the one you sing to me at bedtime. Nada se, da na a se... I love that one." swoon. I transition into a question about his day at church yesterday. "So, yesterday in class, you did not want to do the craft. What did you do while the rest of your class did the craft?" "I played by myself." "What did you play?" "Cars. I played cars by myself. I did not ask anyone to play with me." (we had encouraged him to find one little boy and ask him if he wanted to play with him on the way to church.) "Why didn't you ask someone to play?" "Well...they were girls. and I am shy around girls." (so. sweet.) "There weren't any boys in your class?" "Yes...but, ummmmm, I was afraid they would say no." "You were afraid they would say no?" "Yes." "You are a very nice person and you are a good sharer. I am sure they would say yes!" "But what if they didn't?" "You would say, 'Okay!' And go ask another person to play." "Hm." It was a very grown up conversation for us...and it gave me a peek into my little man's heart and mind as he learns to navigate friendships and social networks (a.k.a. Sunday School)...at the age of 3. His honesty shows me that our fears of rejection start very young. It makes my heart sad for him. I look at him and think: 'YOU ARE AMAZING!' 'YOU ARE SO FUN!' 'OF COURSE, EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH YOU! 'CAUSE YOU ARE THE COOLEST KID EVER!!' 'You SHARE, you have GREAT IDEAS, you are TENDER and COMPASSIONATE.' 'You are a best friend waiting to happen!' And God feels the same way about him, and me and you... But the enemy wants to sneak himself into our minds and cause us to fear man...to fear rejection...to stay to ourselves and not reach out to others...

So...today, I am praying for my son. I am praying that this little seed called fear of rejection will be smothered and snuffed out...and that he will walk in CONFIDENCE and COURAGE, knowing that he is LOVED and ACCEPTED by his Savior, his family and his friends.