Role Models
discussion March 23rd, 2005Who was your hero growing up? Right now, who are your role models? What do our role models say about our priorities? Who’s role model are you? What happens when our role models fall? Should we only surround ourselves with good examples? Knowing more about how my role models affect me, how will I alter my life?Seeing how I am an example to others, what does that mean that I should do differently tomorrow?
Discussion 3/23: Role Models
Stop:
Who was your hero growing up?
Think:
What did you admire about them?
How have your role models changed over time?
Right now, who are your role models?
- Why?
- Are they good role models?
Who are society’s role models?
What do our role models say about our priorities?
Hoos (Who’s) role model are you?
- Siblings?
- Friends?
Does that affect how you act when you are around them?
How you act when you are not around them?
Can someone be famous and not be a role model?
Can you not be a role model?
What happens when our role models fall?
Do we lose anything by putting faith into other people?
Looking up to other people?
How much of what we do everyday is based on other people’s example?
Should we only surround ourselves with good examples?
If so, then how are we helping those in need of our example, if we don’t associate with those people?
Grow:
Knowing more about how my role models affect me, how will I alter my life?
Seeing how I am an example to others, what does that mean that I should do differently tomorrow?
March 28th, 2005 at 7:39 pm
I’ve been asking God to apply the questions we discuss in my life, so that they are not just something we talk about, but that these questions and our answers to them have the power to change our lives. As I was trying to reflect on the topic of role models throughout the week, this is what God have shown me…
Yesterday I went about my usual Thursday routine including tutoring at the elementary school. Due to the snow days, spring break and her choir practices, I haven’t seen Uniqua in a while. She actually didn’t have any homework yesterday, so we read together.
“Only on visiting day would Grammy get up at six to cook fried chicken.
Only on visiting day could I put blue ribbons in my braids…”
Okay, so a little girl is going to visit her dad. “Why do you think her dad is far away?” I asked Uniqua after a few pages. The teachers encouraged us to ask questions during our readings so the student could engage in the story more actively. “Because he is in jail.” Uniqua replied. “You think?” I said, quite taken back. Gee, I thought to myself, if that was right, what kind of children’s story would this be?
But as the pages unfold and the plot unraveled between Uniqua and my voice, I realized I WAS reading a children’s story—I was reading Uniqua’s story, and probably the stories of many other kids. We read about how the Daddy is doing some time, and how he misses his little girl, and how the girl cuddles with her Grammy on a stormy night, when there’s no one else in the house.
“So when did your Daddy come home?” I asked Uniqua after a few moments. She answered me quietly, no blinking, not a shed of tear. Then we started to talk about her family and a part of her I never knew. Something struck me then, about role models: I realized that one of the reasons we are called to be role models is because not everyone have the privilege to have people they can look up too their immediate lives. I started to think, how have I could have acted around Uniqua, my housemates, my friends, which could have inspired them to be better, kinder, stronger and wiser? Do I set the standards or do I just follow those of others? In interacting with them, can they see the presence of God, in me?
I cautioned you earlier about the pitfalls of assuming the role model role: how sometimes it would become a people pleasing pursuit and not a God pleasing pursuit. But as I thought over my words, I found them too harsh. I should have given you more affirmation about your “role” and showed you more enthusiasm and rapport for your new identity. Truly, I think being considered a role model is a great thing! Role modeling is about inspiration, encouragement and discipline. It’s not about trying to get people to act and think like us, but rather in observing our life and interacting with us, they find something grander, nobler, and maybe even God.
It pained me to see that some kids never grew up in an environment where their values are affirmed. They don’t realize their full potential because they never see what they can really be. Role models give them hope and desire to become what they never thought possible.
So there you have it. Role modeling: living life with a purpose, not imposing a certain ethic on another, but affecting a life to find his/her identity in Christ. Maybe through me, Uniqua can find that identity: the precious daughter of a king, who gave her the names: Royal. Joy. Witness. Crafted. Anointed. Heir. Love. Freed. Warrior and Promised.