Mentoring Moments -- Chapter 1

From allposters.com

Last week I started by sharing the introduction to a "book" I am starting to compile made up of the devotionals that I use with my daughters. For the intro and thoughts on this project, see that earlier post on "Of Cowgirls and Princesses: God's Design for Young Girls."

But, without further ado, here is chapter one. I would love to hear if you used this with your daughter(s) and if you have found it helpful.

CHAPTER 1

God's Unique Creation: YOU!

Little girls can look very different on the outside. Yet, they have many things in common. When they talk with their friends they realize that many of them know how it feels to struggle to get along with a brother or sister, to not feel like doing chores, to have scary dreams, to like some parts of schoolwork better than others, to feel sad after getting in trouble at home, and to really want a good friend.

Most of us at one time or another have found ourselves in each one of those situations. Fortunately, we have two very special friends to help us through those challenging times.

The first one is not a person we can see, but one who has loved us since before the world began. God created you and loves you. He knows what is best, even if it is not always the easiest. He will always walk beside His children, protecting and teaching gently.

The second person God placed right in the home to love and guide. Mothers were once little girls, and know all those same feelings. Friends will often move on or apart, but mothers and daughters have a special relationship that will last a lifetime.

In their mothers, daughters find one who knows them and wants to help them as they grow into bigger girls and then into young ladies and eventually into women with homes to care for and other adult responsibilities.

Daughters may have similarities with other girls, yet they each have their own special touches that they bring to their home. Different gifts and skills, different personalities, different tastes, different preferences, and different relationships keep life exciting and show the need for each person to look for their special part in their family, classroom, church, and neighborhood.

Activity (be aware that your daughter might want to turn the table occasionally and lead the activity):

"What’s missing?"

Fill a tray with essential items for personal hygiene (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, washcloth, soap, shampoo, brush, comb, nail clippers, etc.)

Let your daughter study the tray for 30 seconds and then take the tray out of the room. Remove one item from the tray and then return.

• Can she tell what is missing?
• Could we still take care of our bodies the same way without this object?
• What if all we had was a toothbrush and nothing else, could we still keep our bodies clean and well cared for?
• What if the objects came to life and complained about their jobs. What if the deodorant wanted to be used to brush teeth, or the nail clippers wanted to be a hairbrush? Would they be able to complete those tasks that they were not designed for?

Talk about how we each have a role for which God has created us and is growing us for. We need to fill that role and live for Him the way He created us to. Express to your daughter some of the unique ways she makes your family complete, some of the characteristics that she brings to your home and family.


Verses:
Read: I Corinthians 12: 4-7, 14-27 (This passage may seem a bit lengthy depending on the age of your daughter. Feel free to shorten, break up, or summarize this passage).

1. Are we all created the same?
2. Why do we each have gifts (verse 7)?
3. Should our gifts draw us together or make us stand out individually (verse 12)?
4. What are your gifts, skills, abilities, and how are you using them to unite and encourage the body of Christ as a whole and even just within your home?
5. Should we look down on others, or ourselves, because we do not have a certain role?

Read: Hebrew 2:3b, 4

1. Where do our gifts come from, who decides what gifts we will receive?

Read: Romans 12:3-8

1. Do you see any gifts in your own life? Some of these may not appear until you are older, but be on the lookout for God’s gifts in your life.
2. How can you use your skills, gifts and interests to serve God and others?

Action points:
Point out to your daughter some of her unique traits. Discuss how she can use those in your home and in other settings she finds herself in throughout the week. Encourage her to choose and write down one or two specific ways to shine for God this week.

If you do not already do so, find an area of ministry that you can do with your family members. Maybe serving in your church, baking for those who may be experiencing a difficult time physically, or writing notes of encouragement.


Pray and thank God for the unique gift He gave you in each other

Quotes:
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth, O Lord. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart."
~Augustine, St.

Further reading:
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
By: Francis Chan

A Little Girl After God's Own Heart: Learning God's Ways in My Early Days
By: Elizabeth George, Judy Luenebrink