SPIRITGIRL

Recently my pre-teen daughter begged to skip school, on an upcoming field trip day. She is in, what is considered to be– the “popular clique”. And although considered “popular”, she is not actually friended by girls outside of this group.

You see, In middle school, it is all about your tribe. The cliques are tight-nit and it is never advised to change lanes or change friends. As we talked more about it, she revealed that she is not friends with anyone in this class and she would not have a partner or a seat mate on the bus. She became tearful and threatened to fake sick, in hopes of missing the field trip.

I let her know that this was not a reason to miss school and I assured her that things would work out just fine. I have great confidence in her ability to be a friend~always… and to everyone.

She persisted to pressure me, in hopes I’d give in, until I ended the conversation.

As we talked more, I let her know, that there was a lesson in this that God wanted her to take away. And I wasn’t sure at the time, what that lesson was.

And the very next morning, I had a negative interaction with a coworker, someone who is often very dismissive and quite frankly,-unkind to me. .

It rubbed me wrong.

As a matter of fact, I almost burst into tears.

And then I realized the lesson God was teaching to both me and my daughter~ we all want to known and accepted. And when we don’t feel that we are- it hurts. Like a bee that stings… so does the feeling of being unaccepted or unwanted. We have a human need to belong. And even when we are “known” by many, we may not feel we are accepted or a part of something.

There is assurance in one thing though~with Jesus we are treasured and loved. And although that alone does not guarantee we won’t sit on the bus alone, it does guarantee we are never without a friend. When we have the stamp of approval from God-we are pursued relentlessly by a loyal friend.

Where do you seek your approval? Are you reliant on a fallen world of broken people to determine your worth?

When we look to the world for approval, we are bound to be disappointed. But when we seek God’s love, and understand the finality in that, we become known and are affirmed.

I know longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father has told me. John 15:15 NLT

Jesus is our friend…He is always with us and will always be our seat mate on the bus…