One of the things I find so intriguing about young children is their unabashed ability to say and do whatever is on their minds with absolutely no forethought nor restraint. Even when they are being reprimanded for inappropriate behavior, they don’t seem to be embarrassed; they just wonder why everyone else is upset.
My latest lesson that I learned from my preschool class took place on the playground. One little boy discovered that it was SO MUCH fun to run up to a particular little girl and roar as loudly as he could right in her face. It scared her to pieces, she cried pitifully, and eventually she started running for cover as soon as he looked like he was about to approach. The “roar-er” was persisting and not responding in the least to our usual teacher intervention, and the “cry-er” was more afraid than ever. So, I tried another approach. I told her that the next time the roar-er unleashed his self-proclaimed power at her, she should just put her little hands on her hips, open her mouth, and roar back with every bit of strength that her tiny body could muster.
So we waited. It didn’t take long. The roar-er saw her standing alone, and he decided to make his move. He opened his mouth and began to unleash a sound that could send God’s angels racing up to heaven. The other teacher and I called out to the cry-er, “Do it! Do it now!”
And she did. Her adversary may have increased his decibels, and she may have momentarily flinched, but then she decided she was done being scared; our little hero screamed and screamed, and screamed some more, right into his face, with her newly discovered strength. Then, it happened. The little roar-er was completely caught off-guard, he looked very disappointed, and then he slinked off to play another game. Our little cry-er was now our little victor, and she looked as surprised as the roar-er…but not nearly as disappointed. As a matter of fact, she looked quite pleased with herself. She then grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s go get’em!”
If we had been waging a war against tyranny and oppression, I definitely would have joined her to dispel the enemy. However, our roar-er is not an enemy; he’s an adorable little four-year-old boy who has as much to learn about life and how to become a five-year-old as the rest of the class. So we had to have a little talk about learning to be friends and stop a fight, not how to start one! But the lesson she learned (along with several other shy classmates) is that the roar of her fears has no more power than what she allows them to have. Her own roar of victory and confidence carries so much more strength than she ever imagined.
Do you have monsters and roaring dragons in your life that cause you to turn and run as their shadows approach, even before they reach your doorstep? I certainly do. I think we all do. Their roars and threats conjure up our own perception of undefeatable dragons. However, the only thing that really is strong is the sound of their voice. Their power is no match for the real power and confidence that God has made available to us. Our experiences are stronger. The support of our friends and family is stronger. Sometimes, our dragons may wear down and retreat, and sometimes they will continue to roar until the bitter end. But they will never win as long as our integrity, character, and faith remain intact. As long as our love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are at least a part of who we are, the dragons’ roars are just…well, loud.
So, look those dragons squarely in the face, put your hands defiantly on your hips, and roar your head off in the face of the dragon. The dragons are just loud shadows that begin to get shorter as the light gets brighter; God’s truth in you is the real strength that speaks in the silence.
Dance on.
Grace Notes 