Influence - Emily

I am absolutely positive that influence is powerful!! When I worked retail I remember working with one other woman who was very 'hard' (cold, difficult, mad at the world, etc.), she was nice after we got to know each other but we were definitely on different ends of the spectrum. And of course I thought I would win her over to the 'good side' - wrong. after working about a year or so, spending a great deal of time with her I had morphed into a moody two-faced person who one manager even said she was afraid to talk to me some days. Aaagh! I was ashamed when I heard that and I felt bad; but looking back I can absolutely see how/why that happened. I was so trying to 'be a good witness' and say all the right things on the surface but my heart wasn't in the right place. It would have been more effective to button my 'Jesus trap' and just walk in good character, then maybe she would have asked me about why I was the way I was. Can't do it over again, but I certainly learned from that. We really are affected by the company we keep!!
Overall I would say I'm good at avoiding negative influences, but I'm sure there are areas that need improvement. For example, tonight I was sucked into reading all the magazine fronts at the grocery store - all that stuff is garbage, I ought to ignore it!! *And the TV. Honestly, I can be a bug to the light just like anybody else, but if you actually watch what you're watching it is all negative junk set on making us unhappy with what we have and where we are.
I really hope I am a good influence on others, but I'm not sure there's a good way to gauge that... (??)
What has stood out to me the most was how Mary talked about our character needing to be our biggest influence. And really that isn't something we can force when we are with us - it's just being who we are. That's actually very freeing and pressing to me at the same time. Freeing in that when my character is good I don't need to strive to impress or positively influence, it will be a natural outflow of my life... and pressing in that I'm sure there are a lot of flaws in my character that could use some attention. But little by little I trust that God is working in me !!

I really liked how Mary said towards the end "She gives very little in the way of advice.." I have found that in various 'mom circles' they are loaded with legalism on how we should be raising our kids. I've done it, soapboxed about some formula or method or whatever.... but I am really trying to be more aware of that and not offer info unless I am asked and even then only as a suggestion of something that worked for us, not as the only possible thing that might work at all ever.

And PRAYER! How often do I pray but then fully charge ahead in whatever I think is right or best or whatever. I am reminded to pray and TRUST that it's in His hands and He's got it; being patient to wait for the outcome(Phil 2:13)

Love you ladies!! Hope you're having a good weekend :-)