Cattle and Conviction

I am continually amazed by the different life lessons we learn in the stock show world. Today my youngest and I had some deep conversation about conviction.

Today has been a FUN day for her. This is her second show as an official heifer showman. She won her class and then went back in and won Reserve Breed at our State Junior Cattleman's Association Preview Show. The best wins are the ones you don't see coming!! She could barely contain that precious, dimpled grin on her ten-year-old face. 

We went to take her backdrop picture and then she went right back to the cattle tie up and hung her banner up with some baling wire. She was so proud and excited!

She and I ran to grab lunch for everyone after that and as we drove out of the expo parking lot in the old Ford diesel, she asked, "Mom, do you think it was 'braggy' to hang up my banner like that?"

Don't you hate these moments as a parent? I hated to put a damper on her excitement. I said, "Baby, there's a fine line between bragging and just being excited about your win. It's okay to be proud of winning! But, we also know what it feels like to be the one who isn't winning." She sat quietly for a minute and then asked, "So, you think I was bragging?" I told her I didn't think that - that I think she was just excited and that's okay!

We got our food and the conversation picked back up on the way back. As we pulled into the parking lot she asked, "Mom, Do you think I should take that banner down?"  It's funny how God gives you opportunities to share your faith with your kids at the most unconventional times. I chose this moment to talk about conviction. This is what I told my sweet, tender-hearted little girl:

I told her she is Christ's and because of that she has the Holy Spirit as a guide. I told her that I couldn't answer the question about the banner for her. There are some things that are absolutely right or wrong and I can answer for her on those things. But, I told her there are some things God convicts us each differently about and we have to listen to what the spirit is convicting us of. I told her if she was feeling convicted to take down the banner, then she needed to do that. But, no one else could decide those kind of things for her.

She came in and took her banner down. She didn't want to upset anyone else who didn't have a banner. Pretty big thinking for a preteen, if I do say so myself. Who knew a cattle show would offer up an opportunity for a lesson on conviction.

"Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves."
Romans 14:22

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."
Deuteronomy 6:6‭-‬7