Fear of man

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“But all the other girls who were invited are going. She’ll be the only one not there.“

“Think of how she will feel when they’re all talking about it on Sunday!”

“I don’t want them to think of me and our family a certain way. They already think we’re weird because we don’t watch much tv, do sleepovers, criticize Disney, & aren't hip to the latest secular dance moves.”

If I’m honest, these are the real reasons why I was upset about our family’s decision for Elizabeth not to attend a birthday party she was recently invited to. 

The party is the weekend of her little brother’s birthday. The same sweet friend invited her last year and she wasn’t able to go for the same reason. 

We encourage our children to be each other’s first and best friends. We don’t like to run around and Jam Pack our weekends (or weekdays for that matter). 
And we also like to do things as a family as much as possible. 

These are the reasons with which I needed to remind my heart that we made the best decision. 

I sent the following response in a group message: 
It's B's birthday 🤪 she wasn't  able to make it to last year's party for the same reason lol 
Maybe we can meet you and —— for ice cream one evening within the next 50 days. ♥️

Shaking with fear at what the other moms must think of me. Maybe they think: what’s the big deal? Can’t you just send her for a few hours? Why don’t you move B’s birthday celebration to an earlier time so that she can still come? Doesn’t her friend matter too? Why don’t you let her choose what she’d like to do? This is so simple, everyone else can attend. It would be YOUR family that causes the ruckus. Wow. You really want her to take time out of her schedule JUST to meet you for ice cream because YOU didn’t want to make the sacrifice to attend her daughter's pre-planned and paid for birthday party?!  

Maybe they do think these things. Or maybe they don’t. 

It’s not my business.

Lord help us to make principled decisions based on wisdom and not the fear of man which lays a snare. Give us grace to seek to love and celebrate our friends with joy and gladness while maintaining our family’s unity and bond. 




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