A letter to my daughter
Being a Christian means something more than just a label.
by Jenn EsbenshadePrint Article Email to a Friend
I took you to the petting zoo today. Like usual, you dressed yourself in your mismatched clothes. You put your elastic headband around the top of your head, making you look more like a hippie child than the princess with a crown you think you are making. You were set to go out.
Myla, the author’s daughter, with her toy mower. Photo provided.
I have become so accustomed to your uniqueness that I barely even notice. But today was different. As we looked at the animals, I noticed the other little girls there. They had nicely matched clothes, neatly pressed and fitting. Their hair was combed into smooth ponytails or pretty braids. And then there stood you. I saw people look. I waited for the comments. So often I hear things like, “You are so brave to let her go out like that” or, “What a free spirit!”
But today, no comments came. You were so enthralled in the animals and so caught up in life that you wouldn’t have known anyway. You were oblivious to it all.
My hope and prayer is that you stay that way. The world will try to change you. The world will tell you you have to dress a certain way. It will tell you you have to act a certain way and tell you what it means to be a young woman in this society. It will try to impose itself on you and change you into an image of those around you.
The apostle Paul knew of this. He knew of the seduction of the world and its insidious desire for conformity. He wrote in Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
So, my dear daughter, don’t conform. Don’t be tempted to try to fit in. Jesus certainly didn’t. He was publicly admonished and chastised by religious leaders. The people of his hometown thought he was crazy and tried to throw him off a cliff. He was scorned and rejected. Yet there was something that drew people to him. Crowds gathered to hear him, and hurting people desired nothing more than just to touch him. It wasn’t because Jesus was just like the others around him; it was because he was so different.
Today it is the clothes that make you stand out, but someday I hope it will be more. I hope that as you grow, there will be something different about you. I pray you will be challenged by the example set before you by Jesus and Paul and by your family, friends and church, that being a Christian means something more than just a label. I pray you will adopt a lifestyle of radical unconformity that stretches you to become the hands and feet of Christ in a world that needs more servants and less being served.
I know this is a lot for your 3-year-old self, but in the blink of an eye you will be grown. Please know that I and many others will be upholding you in prayer for this very thing—that you will know God’s good, pleasing and perfect will in your life and that it causes you to blossom into a new creation in Christ.
In the meantime, your stripes and your flowers together are just fine by me.
Jenn Esbenshade is a member of New Holland (Pa.) Mennonite Church.
Reader Comments
Add CommentsCurrent Stories
Articles
- Mother mourning
- Subversive women in the genealogy of Jesus
- Choosing to preach Christ
- Songweepers
- Longed-for rain
- Honoring mother
- A letter to my daughter
- Wise men and subversive women
- Ironies and outrages: fasting to protest budget cuts to the poor
- Parenting as spiritual discipline
- All things new
- Early challenges to capital punishment
News stories, digests and Meno Acontecer
- TMail readers want news
- Four priorities may expand to seven
- No disciplinary action for WDC pastor
- Alcohol: A gift from God
- Tanzanian president orders 1,000 books by Shenk
- César García appointed general secretary of MWC
- MDS director shocked by tornado damage in Alabama
- WEB EXCLUSIVE: Meditation on the killing of bin Laden
- Seven awards for The Mennonite
- Young adults and retirees connect in Tucson
- Why are gas prices so low?
- MDS begins tornado clean up in rural Oklahoma
- SALTer learns Arabic sign language and Braille
- Ministering to CEOs and those living in poverty
- Digital edition coming
- News Briefs - May
- First certified Anabaptist educator
- Director of transformative peacemaking named
Columns
- Changes
- Investing in hope: The hope encouraged by Scripture
- Must wars be fought to bring about peace?
- Ministry and money
- Beware of Big Brother and bias
- Are you a smart phone?
- Unconventional conventions?
- Conflicts without violence
- May film and book reviews
Readers Say
- Help for Sudan's Christians
- Are song books tainted?
- Pacifism needs updating
- What about guns?
- Few resolutions
- Mennonites and alcohol
Subscribe
Barbour jackets what began in 1894 in South Shields is now a global brand's British heritage.The Barbour products are sold throughout the world.The Barbour jacket has now gained cult fashion status.For impeccable British heritage and technical excellence the Barbour coat range lead the way.Now,you can get a women barbour jacket or mens barbour from our uk barbour shopwith a big discount and free shipping worldwide.women barbour shop sale barbour at 50% off!We provide barbour wax,quilted barbour and barbour international for women and men.It's the best time to buy a barbour jacket from our barbour store,if you want one!
liaosx 326 In order to provide all the sports fans, full article, I am from above andsunglasses Amateur Replica Louis Vuitton handbags Max 90, Authentic nike shoeswithhigh active basic performance of the table, clothing, socks, bags, watches in advance of NikeAir We hope that Mr. had to look at livening lifestyle.Since. Athletesand rich time-specific, everyfootfall session admeasurements convalescent method Cheap nike shoes, you will need to practice anniversarytraining experienced players because of sports tourism.
Styles that are anthropomorphic Nike, their goal is the personal impression and fashion creatingeverlasting. They thisbrand, select a fan of my mind because I think Replica Louis Vuitton bags. There are wide variety of designs and colors multicolor comesin Louis vuitton outlet. You can visit any Authentic jordan shoes hole orspecific. Jordans for sale franchisees variedcollections opposite thesis.
you're posting an incredible post talk about reliable information its step-up my own information creating amount is to high quality quickly realize over-all great work. you can visit Media buying in Dubai get cheap Advertising agency in Dubai and buying many other Digital media Dubai services.
whatiswebsdesign I’m really inspired together with your writing abilities and also with the layout in your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it your self? Anyway stay up the nice high quality writing, it is rare to see a great weblog like this one today
Lsx The planning of these handbags caught sense Coach Outlet Online Store to do with the elite and later everywhere seems you have you may have to leave not the same thing Coach Factory each season.This designer brand style and color celebrity is often Coach Bags specifically referred to they have quality and meet your needs, in any case, in each one of them what you want to do.