Feelin' some righteous anger.
I'm in Walmart this week and there is a display for the movie "Juno". Haven't seen it, don't' know much about it except from this experience. All I know is that the cardboard display has a girl looking about 13/14 (and a very young version of such) with jeans, converse shoes, stripped t-shirt, with little piggie tales. Her feet were turned inward to present a feeling of awkward careless youth. In her hand is a large fountain soda and the straw is in her mouth. She is a busting 8/9 months pregnant. On the other side is some awkward boy with a bewildered face wearing his basketball uniform.
I hoped my ten year old didn't' see it. I knew she would be asking why and how the little girl was pregnant. If she had, I would have considered it God's timing to dive into these things but I was not happy for the exposure.
What is happening to our culture when we are not shamed to display a life size image of a little girl bursting with child?
So, I guess what I'm wondering in my head is whether this is something worth calling my local walmart about. The display I mean . Right out in front as you come in the door. Should I expect it? Should I just be okay that me kids see these things? Are we not subliminally changing what is normal in children's minds? Especially if they don't have God's word fed to them and truth shown to them through their parents. Is my trip to the store something I have to worry about now? I know the magazine isle is always a worry but walmart has been pretty good about that. I know this is not por*, but it is disturbing in another way. It is a vulgar blur on girlhood.
What do you think? Have you seen it?
Ironically my ten year old is the same height as the cardboard prego.
15 comments:
Did God know that that would be there? Was He sleeping? Does He intend it for good? If you focus on truth will it bring you to joy?
We do not rejoice in a world that is going to hell in a hand basket, we rejoice that God uses these things to train our brains to focus on Him. Is He powerful enough to keep your child from seeing this? If He lets her see it does He have good in mind? what great times of training God has designed, I remember when my girls were home and things would happen, I knew they were God's intimate design - opportunities for me to train them in righteousness. Be sad and mourn for those who are lost. But rejoice in a loving God who is training us at all times.
Here is a great key to remember, "In everything rejoice." When you come to a disturbing situation find the joy. Not in the sin, but in God's power and purpose in what He designed for your training. He designs your "home schooling" curriculam individually. Learn from everything.
As you focus on Him you will find joy and peace. Then if He calls you to call Wal mart you are not doing it to protect you are doing it to please God.
Now, how do you pass this on to your children. You say, "You know today I saw something that bothered me. To be bothered is not bad, but we can let things that bother us become sinful if we do not keep our mind steadfast on God. If we do not take our thoughts and make them obedient to truth. Today God brought this verse to my mind when I was anxious and it comforted me." And you share with them the scripture that God used to comfort and train you such as....
Psalm 121:8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
God is training you! So you in turn can train your children in the way they should go!
Don't miss the opportunities, they are a blessing that often looks like a curse.
Deuteronomy 11:18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
I will find my joy in the Lord for He is good!
The deceiver would love for us to miss the good that God wants us to reap. May He open our eyes to see His hand of training throughout our days!
Tami
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
My dear friend Tami,
I knew I was setting myself up for a loving lashing from you.... I could feel it!
You are so right! I could get stuck just at mad or let it work for joy. You are so wise in the fact that if I call it has to be that God would be glorified!
Thanks for the reminder;)
precious Alicia!
If it were not for the fact that God holds out joy for us to have I would not say a thing. But this is exactly what we have been talking about! This is simply an opportunity to please God by excepting from Him the joy that He wants you to experience. I love you and do not want you to miss out on the joy of the Lord!
As you focus on pleasing Him with your thoughts, He in turn takes your anxious thoughts and turns them into peace and joy!
God is glorified in your when you turn from sinful doubt and by faith believe that God is all He is and you then in turn are an ambassador to those who watch! You bring Him praise and glory! All of this through a card board cutout!
God is helping you fulfill your purpose for living. What a great wonderful example. It does not please God when we doubt, He wants us to have and enjoy all the benefits of being His child. It pleases and delights Him when we obey and get to have the joy HE holds out for us.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are changings as our faith increases.
Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Thank you Alicia for being a humble servant, accepting correction in your pursuit of pleasing God!
Psalm 141:5
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.
You can only thank me if your goal is to Glorify God, other wise you would resent me. Thank you for your sweet testimony of love for the Lord.
Tami
Well, I have written now 3 comments on this topic and for different reasons the comments have not been accepted.
I think Tami answered your post beautiful. It all comes down to trusting God with our life and our children's life. I think as mothers we want to protect and shelter our children from everything. It is hard to see how exposing our children to certain thing will benefit them. This is when we have to kick into trusting God in all things. This is one I have struggled with a lot this past year with my oldest. If I could I would have had done anything to protect him from what he has seen. I do not understand why God let these things happen to him, but I choose to trust God that they will all be used for his good. Based on me trusting God I have joy and peace on the topic and was able to make some difficult discussions. I have had many conversations with my son that I do not I would have had about God and other unspoken topics. Praise God that He can use the most horrible events for our good.
On a different note... All my little girls are grown and gone... thus all the housekeeping is back to me. So, to honor my husband I will not be checking in until my house is in order.. could be weeks! Just kidding. I must be faithful to honor God and husband. I will be back this afternoon or evening! Just wanted to write this in so I would be accountable!
With love and joy!
Tami
Thanks tricia!
Tami I'm with ya!
I gotta spring clean my kitchen cabinets and paint the wall!
Thank the lord is lovely outside and the kids are playing.
You know all that much on the top of the kitchen cabinets? Where the hey does it come from? Doesn anyone know?
Well, anyway I'm off to de-gunk and piant.
I'll have before and after pics!!! fun!
i meant all that muck.
Hi Alicia - I'm sorry about that poster - I haven't seen it. It's really too bad, because the movie is pro-life, from what I've read and heard. The girl decides not to have an abortion (she's 16 in the movie) and gives the baby up for adoption to a childless couple. Anyway, I agree with you that the images presented to our children these days are really sad - sad that our culture has mainstreamed so much that is awful.
you know i just want to put my 2cents in here as well. can't recommend the movie persay, but the overwhelming message i gained is to choose LIFE! this in a very secular movie written by a former stripper mind you. you know what the world often says and does, GOD uses for His GOOD. we must remember this. also, these companies which promote poor clothing choices, foul language, explicit model poses etc, are mostly doing it because they make money off it. the public buys right in to it and they make tons of cash. walmart is not squeaky clean when it comes to pushing bad agendas. BUT... we have to remember that the "message of the cross is foolishness to them that our perishing." our dismay at all of this seems very foolish to them because their eyes are blinded. i would also encourage you to be careful how we talk to our children about such things. i know for me, the temptation has always been to perhaps "overtalk" many issues. not saying you are doing this, just a heads up warning to be careful. we want our children to be aware of the evils but if we are constantly "ranting" about the evil at every corner (and the devil does prowl around like a lion) i think the message may get lost. we live in a very fallen world and even in good old walmart....(i am not a fan of the old walmart.) we can expect to be hit in the face with some things that will never be acceptable to a christian.
yuck. that's pretty bad. i think i might have seen a preview for "juno", but from the preview thought the girl was more like 15 or 16 (not like that makes it okay!). sorry about your experience. the world is full of this stuff sometimes.
no insightful words today. none needed because of all the great comments before mine!
Totally off subject... I hope you don't mind Alicia...
I would like to invite you all to watch a most beautiful video... It is so amazing... so God!
http://www.copelandramblings.com/
This is my son-in-law and daugher's blog.
Tami
Thanks for the link Tami I'll check it out.
In conclusion on this issue of the display the Lord showed me something practical.
If this movie is truly about chosing life, giving her baby to a loving family. May it be that some girl walks by that stand and see's herself. Perhaps she knows she is pregnant and she picks it up. From it, hopefully she chooses life. This is how God can use what I may even find immorally offensive to reach one who needs it and thereby save a life.
So, I'll be okay with it being there. I will not call. I will pray for that girl. I did go back to Walmart and walked in through the garden department.
After all, my daughter is not that girl. :)!
Well this is the second time I am trying to leave a comment. I came back and saw the first one wasn't accepted.
Anyway I wanted to point out that boys are targeted too. I struggle with this with my son. He has several times turned the SI swimsuit issue around because he says it is so immodest. I just tell I think that is a good idea.
It is a tricky world these days. I hope the Lord comes back soon.
Hello alicia,
I had the un-pleasure of seeing juno a few weeks ago. I didn't know much about it, otherwise i probably would have said, "no thanks."
It's true that the movie is pro-life, but the way this young girl's pregnancy is handled is ridiculous. Her parents actually make jokes about it - there is no feeling of premarital sex being wrong in any way. Juno, (the pregnant girl) spouts off cutesy jokes, drinks slurpees, and pines after the boy who got her pregnant, who decides at the end of the movie that she is worth of being his girlfriend.
The entire movie was so light-hearted for such a serious, and devastating topic. My point is that i could see many young girls deciding that teen pregnancy really must not be "that bad." Juno is someone they are made to look up to, and it is very, very sad.
That's frustrating that you had to encounter that display at walmart! I too would have been upset. Sometimes i really do weep for the future...:(
Hi, Sarah, do I know you? If I don't it's okay, but I'm just wondering.
Welcome either way:).
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