Who's Your Favorite?

Deuteronomy 14: 2 "...The LORD has chosen you to be His treasured possession."

How blessed I was to take a road trip to the West coast of Florida today with my son and my parents!  We drove across Alligator Alley in search of the little town of Osprey.  Specifically we went to see neighbors of my parents who have moved to Florida about seven years ago.

While driving the three hours back, I told Mom that I would need to get home to write a post for Parakaleo.  I said I wanted to interview her as a mother of four children, with almost 50 years of experience.  As I began to ask her questions I became aware of my short-term memory loss as she shared so many profound statements and relived memories of raising the Bryant brood.

However, one of her answers seemed to capture my attention.  I asked, what she felt was her biggest accomplishment in being a mom. She was so sweet as she said one of her goals as she became a mother was to make each child feel like they were her favorite.

I remember when my older brother was young, asking our mom, “Who’s your favorite?”  I remember the whole verbal retort.  “Why YOU are my favorite! Because you are my first born.  Joannie is my favorite because she is my only girl, Glenn is my favorite because he has blond curls, and Neal is my favorite because he is the only child with brown eyes!”

Guess what?  We all believed we were our moms favorite!  As adult children, it continues to be a bigger game.  We each logically explain why we are our Moms favorite. We each give our reasons why it is clear why she chooses us as her favorite. 

My mom almost squealed in the car, gushing she had succeeded in making each of the children think they were her favorite.

The Bible says much about showing favoritism.  In fact it says not to.  The New International Bible says in James 2: 9  “But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”  Other versions use the word respect instead of favoritism.  Would your children say you treat them with respect?  Would they say you are partial to one sibling over another?  As we parent, we have the unique opportunity NOT to show favoritism, all the while making each child feel FAVORED and LOVED.

The verse preceding this one says we are doing right if we keep the scripture to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

I challenge you girls to communicate to your children that they are your favorite as well as each of their siblings.  It isn’t that one is more favored, it is that each ARE the favored. 

My mom (and dad) did such a great job of not showing favoritism. How?  By allowing us to feel like we were the favorite! My response is to pass it along to our three children!

My parents making our youngest feel like the favorite grandchild!!

If you are looking for a little Bible study today, look at I Peter 2: 9 and 10.  You will find that we too have been chosen as God's favorite.  We now enjoy the mercy that His favorites receive!