It's a pillow. It's a pet.

It’s a pillow pet!

Bella recently got a pillow pet for her birthday.  My brother and sister-in-law got it for her.  Bless them.  She loves it.  It’s the purple and pink unicorn one.  Bella named it Lylas, which makes me laugh.  Where did that come from?  Perhaps she has read some of the notes I passed to my friends in sixth grade that I ended in L.Y.L.A.S. (love you like a sister)?  Anyway, Lylas the unicorn has been a faithful napping and sleeping companion since her arrival. 

Bella REALLY wanted this pillow pet.  It got me to thinking…how did she get this desire?  How did Lylas make it onto the wish list?  

Bella saw commercials on T.V.  Or maybe it was that Toys-R-Us ad I let her look at.  She knows other people who have them.  In other words, the world told her she needed a pillow pet.  She fell for it-hook, line, and sinker.  She’s four.  

Please note, I am not writing about the evilness of Pillow Pets.  They are precious.  I am thrilled that my wonderful brother and sis-in-law got one for her.  They did it out of love.  Even better, they were at her party to celebrate and see her delight when she opened it.  Gift giving can be a powerful way to show love.  There is nothing wrong with that, AT ALL.  It just got me thinking about a bigger issue.

Why would my child so easily fall for what the world says is cool and necessary?  

Ahem.  Enter conviction.

Maybe it’s when I come home and tell Andy about how so-and-so’s house is way better/bigger/nicer than ours.  Maybe it was the complaining about how I couldn’t afford that new dress from Kohl’s that I wanted to wear to Cornerstone Family Ministries Fall Fundraiser.  It had ruffles and was in a jewel-tone, and those things are hot for fall.  Then after not getting this dress, I continued to complain about how I hate everything in my closet and the stuff I don’t hate, I can’t fit into because I recently had a baby (and I like ice cream).  

It was said in my Mom-to-Mom Bible Study at church (I am sure I will talk more about this later, because it is rocking my world.) that our need to be “perfect” makes an impact on our children.  It was brought up that this can be especially true for daughters.  When I express that I am not rich enough, stylish enough, skinny enough-SHE IS LISTENING.   

So, how am I ever going to “fix” this?  How can I raise children who focus not on their bank accounts or jean size, but on the fact that God rejoices over them with singing?  That they can live in this world, and not be of it?

I am going to pray.  I am going to think about what I do and say.  I am going to try to live this way myself.  I will be thankful for God’s grace in my parenting.  I will pray for a community of believers-my parents and in-laws, youth ministers, color guard (or whatever activity they choose) instructors, Sunday School teachers-who will pour their lives into my children, the same way that was done for me.

Pillow Pets are so clever and cute I wish I had thought of them myself.  New dresses are fun.  Losing those extra pounds is healthy.  They are just not the most important thing.

And now, because you might need a visual aid:

Lylas, Bella, and Hayes

I am so glad they are mine.  Yes, even Lylas.