Do you know who you are?

The other day, Selah was playing on the swings with one of her friends who lives on our street while I was throwing the football with the boys. Our typical routine is that I throw a few passes with the boys, and then go push her a few times on the swing. Back and forth, back and forth.

Until I figure out how to clone myself, this seems to appease all of the demanding parties involved.

One of the times I came up to push Selah and her friend, I pointed at Selah and asked her friend,

“Do you know who this is?” Her friend chuckled, and said “Selah?” I asked her again,

“Do you know who this is?!” She laughed again and said it louder, “Selah!”

I shook my head no and said, “No, she is MY PRINCESS!”

Selah, without missing a beat, looked at her friend square in the eye and said with confidence I only wish I had, “See!? I TOLD you I was a princess!”

Her conviction with knowing who she was struck me deep in my core.

Do you know who you are? Do I know who I am?

More importantly, who are we letting define us? Who are we letting define our kids?

Parents, we have to give voice to the definition of our kids every day because the world will give them plenty of definitions with or without us.

However, how can you give a definition to someone else if you don’t know your own definition. Who’s voice are you letting define YOU?

I hope you will consider the definition already given to you by the Creator of the Universe. You are loved. You are forgiven. You are a child of God. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Any other definition you have been living into is an edit to the original definition that was already given. Stop trying to change the definition that has already been written. You need to accept it, and your kids need YOU to accept it as well.

Your gifts, your talents, your personality, your strengths, everything about you was made in a way that produces amazement, wonder, and awe.

You may not have all of the gifts, none of us do, but you have the right set of gifts.

Your kids don’t have all the gifts either, but they have the exact gifts they need. As you accept your original definitions, help them accept theirs.

I do my best to audibly define my kids as often as I can with phrases like, “You are good. You are kind. You are a good listener. You are loved. You are so talented. God has given you amazing gifts.”

Are these phrases always true? No. No they are not.

But their momentary behavior doesn’t change the definition I want them to personify. The definition that was already given to them by God.

They are children of the King of all Kings. Last I checked, the children of a King are called princes and princesses.

And that’s who you are too, so let’s start acting like it.

#daddylessons