Imitate Christ

I had the tremendous joy of spending the day caring for my six-year-old granddaughter. She has recently been delighting in the fact that she can very accurately imitate the distinctive accent of her other grandmother and does so when an appreciative audience is within earshot. She also has coined a few of my common words and phrases and gets a sparkle in her eyes as she states them with my tone and inflection when she’s in my presence.

With a thankful heart I was relieved that my granddaughter had not observed or grabbed hold of those parts I would not have wanted her to see or replicate; those occasions when my words or attitudes might be a little off of the mark.

It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery and that no disrespect is meant by any exaggerations of one’s mannerisms or speech, particularly when the copying is done in and out of love or respect for the one modeled after.

3 John 1:11
Dear child, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.

Modeling, creating and preserving the very best atmosphere for kids and grandkids can be such a powerfully motivating force. Their lives were meant to be fun and carefree, safe and nurtured, with good balances of learning and lots of opportunity to apply what they have learned. So we as caregivers draw lines that we don’t want them to cross, protective lines to keep them from harm.

We all have occasions to “miss the mark”, to step outside the ideal standards that have been set by our loving Father. We all have occasion to sin. But God ideally wants our very atmosphere to be one where temptation and sin are totally foreign to us. He drew lines for us that He did not want us to cross, because of His great love for us.

During our day together my granddaughter and I went to her neighborhood playground, a place she has frequented often since she was a baby. She has now mastered all the many pieces of equipment and was so pleased to show me. She also invited me to follow her – up and down various stairs and ladders and across wobbly bridges. When we came to one of the enclosed tubular slides I needed to “draw the line” in my capacity to follow her. I would not have safely made it down that slide. She immediately understood and so then she led me to activities we could enjoy doing together. What a sweetie! She has begun to learn the art of caring for others.

We are all called to be obedient “children” and to be role models for the “children” both old and young that might be looking to imitate us.

Matthew 18:6

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

I so want to bring God the highest form of flattery and praise by doing what He has shown me to do. I want to be the example that He created me to be. My prayer today is that I want to be able to say to those I love, know or meet…
1 Corinthians 11:1

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Prayerfully and Gratefully HIS,

Jan