In the previous newsletter, we talked about the importance of laughter in a family. This is the “Merriment” in the AROMA of a home. Today we're going to discuss second "A" in AROMA...affirmation.

The six-foot-two, normally reserved Lyn Golden is jumping up and down, flinging his long arms in the air, and cheering at the very top of his lungs. He is cheering for his five-year-old son, Mikel, who is competing in his first BMX bicycle race.

Everything seems all right on the sidelines, but something is terribly wrong on the track. Mikel is in last place. In fact, he's the only rider left in the race. The others have put away their bikes and are already celebrating with their families. Some are opening picnic baskets and beginning to eat. Mikel is still on the track.

Lyn bought the BMX equipment, knowing his son had his heart set on this race. Now it is about to be a disaster. Lyn can hear Mikel's staccato sobbing as the bumpy track jars his little body. The tears cut a river bed down his cheeks. Reaching to wipe them away, Mikel's face streaks with dried mud. Still half-a-lap to go!

Lyn, the only person left in the gallery, is going nuts -- as if Mikel is in first place. When Mikel finally crosses the finish line, Lyn grabs him in his arms and continues the celebration.

"I'm so proud of you, Son," Lyn shouts. Mikel starts smiling through his tears.

There are two first-place winners today. One is awarded a trophy, the other affirmed with relationship. Mikel's first place position is declared loud and clear from the heart of his dad. It was a position that Mikel has always had: today declared true.

We've all been there, haven't we? We have felt the pain of our children when they have lost, and when we want them to know more than anything that losing really doesn't matter. There will be another day to win a race, but they are winners in our hearts just because they belong to us. How are we affirmed as children of our Heavenly Father? Are we affirmed by what He gives to us? Are we affirmed by whether the day is a good day? What about a bad day? Do we feel affirmed only if everything is going our way? Well, maybe we experience affirmation these ways, but those are not the real measures. The true measure of affirmation is based on our Father's attributes. He is love. He is faithful. He is just and merciful. He watches over us constantly. He cares for us deeply and has promised never to leave or forsake us. His character is our affirmation. That is the model.

Of course, along with affirmation come its by-products: gifts, having a good day, or knowing that a bad day isn't the end of all days, believing everything is going our way even when it may not be, having our question marks turned into exclamation points, and knowing that our true position with God makes everything okay, even if things do not turn out according to our expectations.

In the next e-newsletter, we'll discuss a principle about affirmation and how we can put it to use in our family.

Adapted from Family Fragrance, authored by J. Otis & Gail Ledbetter.  All rights reserved.  HeritageBuilders.com