Oh, Nose! By Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog 1/7/23
Paving the way for her sister Abigail, Rosey had no idea her actions would be a blessing over 2 years later. Our children are honorable in how they conduct themselves in our home. (Remember commandment 5?) We know that both our girls dreamed of the day of their first tattoo. Their older sister Mary, who is out on her own sported skin art. Each tat had a memory attached. Rosey turned 18 and got a tat. And then Rosey wanted her septum pierced. (A septum is that little part where your nose attaches to your lip, i.e., the cartilage between your nostrils.) For a couple of years, Rosey pleaded her case until we finally said OK. The whole thing scared me. And to my surprise, I really liked it on her. It’s a metal rod/ring through your nose area like a pig. “It’ll keep her from rooting!” my husband laughed because they do put a ring in pig’s nose to keep them from digging up the ground with their nose. Now let's fast forward because Abigail moved back home and back under her parent’s rules and care. Folks had said the empty nest wouldn’t last forever. She smiled at me the other day and sighed. “You’re not going to like it, but I’m getting my septum pierced on Friday.” She’s been longing to have this done since she was 12. I had to say okay, because of the Rosey situation. Kids! My heart broke thinking of another nose jam. But okay. Big sisters have great responsibilities. Because of how the spacing worked in our family the gap between our two sets of kids is as though Rosey our third child is the first-born big sister. Dynamics of birth order seem to be very interesting. I’m the middle child, hmm…which explains a lot LOL! God understands family dynamics. We look at the siblings Miriam, Moses, and Aaron. Each had a path the Lord paved. God lived close to his people. In Numbers 12 we see a squabble. God makes it clear that birth order isn’t the priority but rather the calling upon Moses’s life. She’d been the one in the water to watch as baby Moses floated in the river. But now Moses was in charge. Be clear, family helps family, but God has the last word. Deuteronomy chapter 28:15, the Scripture says, If you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Taking the word of God to heart we know his love is real as well as his discipline. Advice from God is always correct, but advice from an older sister may have merit as well. Parents guide because mostly they’ve walked the same path as their kids are entering. It matter’s what your beliefs are. Generalization of spirituality is hollow and blasphemous. Guidance in life’s choices bare extreme responsibility. Clearly, this is an issue we find exhausting because what parent didn’t want to quit at some point? It may have been the toddler twos or for me the tempting teenage years. I’m thankful my children have grown into adults now and are encouraging me. Expect something beautiful from the kids you struggled with. They’ve been listening. They’ve been applying. They’ve been keen on “me do it” but in those moments of brokenness, parents and even siblings, the rescue story opens up. I know it’s not popular to talk about Jesus training and teaching us, because we’re supposed to talks to our inner self for inspiration. But let’s be very clear we all try to be our “own god”. Don't get sucked into the foolish worldly advice of “follow your heart.” Your heart is wicked and deceitful. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it.-Jer. 17:9 Instead follow Jesus. “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”-John 8:12 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”- Galatians 5:25 Our children like ourselves will make mistakes in life. Choices make us the people we are today. In choosing we always use the two-point method. 1. Is it immoral or illegal? 2. Do you want to do it? Suddenly the choice falls into place because God guides. The heart of a person either listens to the Lord or blazes a painful path. As for Abigail, she’s happier than “a pig in mud” as the saying goes. And we’re happy neither of our girls will be rooting around.

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