Penny and I were out running errands today and we passed by the Spirit Halloween store. After seeing a sign that said "50% off" I thought it would be a great idea to stop in and see if they had the cat ears for her costume. Once we crossed the threshold, I knew the decision to go in was a huge mistake. There were severed torsos, creepy monsters and more at ever turn.
However, she did not even see the scariness of the store. It wasn't until we were leaving that she saw an animatronic wolf with a severed hand and glowing eyes that she stopped in her path.
"Mommy, that wolf is scaring me!"
My heart stopped. What had I exposed my sweet daughter to? I didn't know what to say. What came out next baffled me.
"Wolfie no wolfing! Wolfie no wolfing! Wolfie no wolfing!" I yelled as I shook my hand at it. Penny joined me in the chant. Then I looked at her and said, "Tell him to smile so he won't look so scary". She took my advice.
In the car, we talked about how sometimes people may look different or even scary, but they are really great and wonderful people. I thought of 2 Timothy where it says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self‑discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV84). I prayed over her know that she cannot unsee what she saw but that God would rewrite it for her in her mind as a lesson of love.
It was a great reminder for me. When I start to fear my surroundings or circumstances, I am taking my eyes of what God may have for me. Possibly a lesson in love.
Love you to so many bits and pieces I can't even tell you. I now carry washable markers with me everywhere so that I can show a mini-person who might be afraid of me that I am really just a walking coloring book.
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