Acceptance

Parent/Teacher conferences were held last week at our children's school. We had glowing reports of our children's progress and that made mom and dad proud.

We came home with an armload of worksheets, progress reports and other materials that Faith and Joshua had worked on through the first half of the school year.

Last night Julie and I were reading through Faith and Joshua's "Writing Journal." In Joshua's writing journal the assignment is to write about something and then draw a picture that accompanies the story.

One entry had Joshua writing about "winning at checkers."  He then drew a picture of a checkerboard with two boys on either side. It was easy to tell which boy was Joshua. His face was smiling and the other boy's face was drawn with a very sad face...

One particular entry caught us off guard... "I feel welcome when I play basketball."

My iWitness...

Joshua's acute and keen observation struck a deep chord within me. I remember in my growing up years and even to this day, sports was an avenue to gain acceptance among peers. Play the game well and you're in. Play the game not so well and you are still on the outskirts looking in.

Joshua is a good little athlete. I found it sobering, fascinating and insightful that as a first grader he would already be picking up on the reality that when he plays a sport and plays it well, then he feels accepted by his peers.

Where do you feel welcomed?

Where do you feel not so welcomed?

Where do you feel unconditionally accepted?

What situation do you find yourself in where you are constantly trying to prove you are worthy of acceptance?

Does it help to know that God accepts you unconditionally? I struggle with this at times. Yes! I know God accepts me. I get that! But it sure would make life easier if I felt "welcomed" by everyone I met.

And maybe that's where my attitude and perspective needs to change...

What would happen if I made the extra effort to accept those that I meet and make sure they feel "welcomed" in my life?

Let it begin with me, Lord!

"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15. 7)

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!