She stood in the middle of the isle surrounded by towering adults. One tiny hand raised high while the other held tightly to mine. She was watching him, listening to him, singing with him.
It was one of those moments I wish I had a picture of. It was beautiful. I know she doesn't understand what is going on around her or even grasps what we are singing about but it was beautiful still.
You see, music is part of the DNA of our family and worship is something that extends beyond the walls of our church's tent. (If you've been to Hulen Street, you know that's not figurative.) On any given night you could walk into an all out dance party in our living room complete with music videos from some of a favorite worship bands. So, raising our hands, dancing to the music, well, it's just something we do.
But that hasn't always been the case for me. I was raised with a more traditional background and while I love the way I was raised, being a Hoskins has opened my eyes to a more expressive style of worship. But I will say that raising my hands in church is still a bit awkward for me and I rarely do it.
The beauty of what I saw in my daughter was her unashamed, uninhibited expression. She wasn't concerned with what people thought of her. She was enjoying the moment.
It made me think though. If I want her to feel free to express her worship, then I must model the same. If I want her to be unashamed of the gospel of Christ, then I must model that for her. If I want her to be confident in who God has created her to be, then I must be confident in who God made me to be. I must show her these things, not merely tell her. She is mimicking what she sees and hears and those things that seem "normal" to her now will become part of her as she grows. Just like praying before a meal is something we do, she will learn to worship, study scripture, live out her faith, etc. by watching me.
I have no idea how to teach these things to her, but I trust in the One who does!
Lord, help me be the example of Christ-like womanhood for my daughter. Help me to shepherd her. Give me wisdom and discernment.
