A sense of belonging is the degree to which students feel respected, accepted and supported by their adults and peers. Mueller staff try hard to communicate to students how much they are valued here in the Mueller community, however, statistics suggest that one in five teens may feel as though they don’t belong. As parents, how can we help our children if they don’t feel that sense of belonging?
Supportive parents play a huge role in providing emotional support for our children. True belonging is where a person is appreciated for their ideas, thoughts and values. Do you let your child know how much you value his/her ideas and thoughts? Do you encourage him/her to be the unique and amazing person God made and provide reassurance that it’s okay to be different?
Belonging starts with self-acceptance – believing you’re enough. Many students (and I believe this was my issue) feel as though they have to hide their true selves in order to fit in. A person belongs where others accept them for who they are. It also involves accepting others, even though they might have different views from us.
God has created us as unique individuals and accepts us as we are. Since He values us so much, surely, we can accept both ourselves and others. We all belong here even though it will feel different for each of us. Own your uniqueness and encourage your child to do so too.
]]>Uncertainty is one of the biggest fears we face, and we humans like to know exactly what we’re up to. Even though we Christians say we trust in the Lord for everything, I would suggest that we live (and I include myself) as though we are self-reliant. One verse from the Bible that is particularly relevant in these days of uncertainty is from James 4:13-16
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. (New Living Translation)
One thing I do know is that God is unchanging and He sees the big picture of what’s going on in both the world and our individual lives. When I went through a particularly trying time several years ago, it was only faith in God that saw me through. He sustained me and helped me get through each day, and at times each hour. As we are fast learning, we can’t control everything in our lives.
Can I urge you to take some time out to listen to Mueller Community Church’s sermon on this past Sunday “An Eternal Perspective to a Temporal Pandemic”? https://soundcloud.com/mccmedia-1/2203-an-eternal-perspective-to-a-temporal-pandemic-wayne-kuypers-peter-connor
I’d like to share the following poem “Lockdown” by Brother Richard Hendrick which he shared on Facebook on March 13. I found it to be a great encouragement and hope you do too.
]]>Colossians 3:16 ESV – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
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