Gabe Chose the Blog Topic

So I'm sitting here for the last hour trying to figure out what write for the blog. My son, Gabriel is about to go to school, and I ask him what I should write about. His reply was "Tell them I'm going to two parties this weekend!". I'm sure you're excited about this blog topic, but consider the other options- "I have mud on my shoes!" or "Faith hit her head". I'm going with the two parties option.

Being around kids is quite interesting. If you watch close enough, you usually see yourself in them. The insecurities, the wonderment. The attempts to make ourselves look better than we actually are. I'm not sure if we mirror them, or they mirror us, but they live in the same world we do, with the same hopes and fears, I think they just deal with them differently.

Yes, Gabriel has two birthday parties to go to this weekend. One tonight, and one tomorrow. He is very excited about them. Lots of junk food, lots of laughs, real 3rd grade type of stuff.

But do you know what I think he is most excited about? In the third grade, birthday parties equal likability. Meaning, I think that to Gabe, the fact that he is going to 2 parties means that the other kids in his class like him. Sure, it might seem kind of shallow, but for a 3rd grader, its the ultimate validation of value.

Are we much different? Do we not look for external things and people to validate our self worth and value? Have you ever looked towards another person for validation or approval? I don't think that makes us weak, I think it makes us human. We all depend on each other for some sort of encouragement or love.

I understand that as Christian that I get the ultimate validation from above, but the reality is that we are here on this earth with other humans. There must be some reason that God made us social creatures that have the ability to interact. When I read the New Testament, I notice that Paul wrote a lot of encouragement to people. God used him to encourage people.

This is the goal for you today- think of someone within your sphere of influence that you can encourage or validate. Maybe its with a phone call or a note. Perhaps an invite for coffee, a meal or a giving a small gift.

Get outside of yourself today and think about someone else and be that encouragement and validation for them.

God always uses people, and today, He's going to use YOU!

be blessed
matt