"I Need To Be A Pro"

Recently my four year old discovered that she could attain "pro" staus on Nintendo wii bowling. To say that she was proud of herself is an understatement. I suppose the fact that the rest of us made a huge deal out of it added to her sense of triumph. Today she came to me crying, with a look of despair on her face, saying that she was no longer a "pro". She frantically played the game, desperate to regain her status, only to grow more discouraged in her lowered position. As she continued to cry, she kept saying, "I need to be a pro". My heart broke as I realized how much importance my precious little girl, barely more than a baby, was placing on this arbitrary title and accomplishment that she felt she needed to achieve.

It got me thinking, though. Isn't that just like so many of us? I know I am like that! One day I can feel significant or successful, based solely on the title given to me that day because of how I performed. The next day, however, I can "lose" my status or sense of worth and feel inferior and lacking. So I strive and strive to do better...to do more...to be more. And a perfectionist is born. The titles and feelings I experience are constantly shifting when I let my own efforts and abilities (or lack of) determine who I am and what I'm worth. The truth is, who I am and what I'm worth doesn't change in God's eyes. No matter what I do or don't do...no matter how well I get it all together or how badly I fall on my face...He loves me, accepts me, and cherishes me. Nothing I do can lessen or increase that love and acceptance. Not my striving. Not my success. Not my failure. And the same is true for my daughter. Whether she is a "pro"or not, it doesn't matter. The reality is she is precious and worthy simply because she is God's child. A daughter of the king! And there is no greater status to enjoy.