Posts tagged: children

Trophies are usually deemed precious. If not, why would they be considered special? How many trophies have you received through your life? Perhaps you’ve won a chess tournament, a writing contest, or been a part of a team that won your league title or won a tournament. This day and age, trophies are also given out as participation awards.

Photo by Ariel Besagar on Unsplash

Trophies come in all shapes and sizes: a cup, on a stand, or a person on the top, or possibly a plaque. Even printed certificates are a type of trophy to be considered. Engraved or printed, they usually display your accomplishment and the year. Others that have more planning will even have your name on them for an added degree of personalization.

As we go through life, we accumulate other things we consider the exact opposite of trophies. Our bodies age and wrinkles set in and joints begin to ache. We experience a lot in our lives and how we deal with those dictates how we grow in our faith and wisdom. These also affect our levels of joy and peace.

James 1:1-5,12
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you… Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When my daughter was getting married, I remember telling her that not everything in her wedding would be perfect. She could decide beforehand if everything didn’t go according to the plan that she could turn into Bridezilla. Then her wedding would be ruined for everyone and she would have bad memories of it for the rest of her life. OR she could accept the fact this is how God wanted it to be and roll with it, have fun with it. Make it a happy fun time, and you will create memories for everyone for the rest of their lives. And essentially, she would be turning a negative into a positive.

This is the concept of turning something into a trophy:

TAKING SOMETHING WHICH IS A NEGATIVE
AND TURN IT INTO A POSITIVE. 

Just as yours are to you, my children are unique and very precious and special to me. Why? Because they are my children. No one else in the world or throughout time other than my wife can make this statement. While growing up, children can be mischievous. This was proved the time when mine were little, and they painted my toenails, not knowing I had an appointment at a podiatrist in just a few days. Even if they knew, they would probably assume I would take it off. However, it was special to me, even though I played with them about being upset, I was really smiling greatly inside, and they saw it in the occasional slip of a grin. Their show of affection touched my heart, and I realized these painted toenails were trophies I would not hesitate to keep. I kept the paint on until it naturally wore off. Many chuckles were offered in the doctor’s office when I took my sock off, but upon explaining why they were painted, and trying to convince them it just wasn’t strange, the attendant smiled and seemed to approve. The toenails to me were opportunities to say without saying, “See how much my kids love me… and how much I love them?” I am not totally sure they believed me, but I really didn’t care. My love and pride for my kids was more important than how my toes appeared to make me look to anyone else.

As people get older, other things also become apparent. Gray hair is cursed by many as a sign of old age and looked down

Photo by JD Mason on Unsplash

upon by many. I look at this differently. To me each gray hair is a trophy. It is representative of hard work and a life of accomplishments and successes. Even Proverbs maintains it is a great thing.

Proverbs 16:31 (NIV)
Gray hair is a crown of splendor;
it is attained in the way of righteousness.

I have had conversations about my gray hair and some said I should color it. I say no way! Every gray hair is a trophy. I am proud of it and I want to wear it proudly.

The biggest trophy we have is the one waiting for us a child of the king, our name being in the Book of Life and Jesus standing beside us on the Day of Judgement, telling the Lord God we are His and we are forgiven and therefore to be ushered into the Eternal Kingdom of God!

But by realizing He is part of us now, everything is, by faith, in His hands. We can handle anything that comes our way and we trust anything outside of our control that He does control. Everything we have now and become is according to His perfect plan and we praise His name for it and consider it a trophy.

What do you have in your life that has been a sore spot for you? Things that are relatively minor should not be bringing us down. By working and praying to turn a negative into a positive, you can change a sadness into a joy, and into the newest and brightest addition to your trophy case!