Some people want to be brave. They want to let go of their timidity and make the scary choices in life.
Others want to be ambitious. They want to be passionate about something and have the drive to go after it.
I have always wanted to embody gentleness.
Sometimes, it seems like this ethereal concept that I reach for.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:3-4).
Maybe I am too much of a romantic, growing up reading too many books. Like Anne of Green Gables, I can only focus on my character flaws, and I am blinded to the beauty that discipline and love can create. I have a few friends who seem to exude gentleness in the way they speak, the way they listen, and even in their body language. I, on the other hand, tend to be loud and boisterous. My way of breaking the ice or trying to make someone more comfortable is to rely on humor. I cannot change my personality--nor would I want to--but I think this explains why I struggle with this "unreachable" trait. Just what does gentleness look like, for goodness sake?
Gentleness is a strong hand with a soft touch. It is a tender, compassionate approach toward others' weaknesses and limitations. A gentle person still speaks truth, sometimes even painful truth, but in doing so guards his tone so the truth can be well received.
Striving for that gentle and quiet spirit will, I think, be one of my overarching goals of parenthood. I foresee God using motherhood to shape this spirit in me as I silence my own petty desires when life doesn't seem to go my way. As I handle a child's fragile heart and strive to impart truth and love to that same heart. As I learn to view the world through little eyes and see just how big seemingly unimportant things can be.
God uses the people in our lives to show us just how selfish we really are. And He uses truth as a mirror to show us our weaknesses, asking us to run to Him and allow His strength to be made perfect in them.
What is your "unreachable" trait?
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