My daughters, Christina and Kim in the hammock in our jungle house
As a young missionary mother reading to these two little ones sitting next to me in a hammock in the middle of the Panamanian jungle, my heart yearned for books that would introduce my girls to bible-based, character-emphasized prince and princesses that they could aspire to become. I would take every book I picked up and purpose to impose these two principles into the pages in terms they could understand that had eternal values targeted. My two daughters, Christina and Kim, are now grown and have given me seven grandchildren! Christina encouraged me for years to sit down and put on paper what I did to the stories I read in those early years. Her cry for these books for her four little ones was my primary motivation.
The opportunities are unlimited when it comes to God building His character in us, and then, into the lives of these He entrusts to our care. Understanding the need and exercising the steps of action needed to see them implemented is our challenge. When you look at your children where do you see their primary need? Taking into consideration their temperament, maybe the need for them to be more alert or to respond more quickly in obedience? Maybe rebellion is the issue or selfishness? Where would you begin to help the little prince or princess in your home?
Values are based on the changing opinions of what people or groups of people practice in their principles or ideals. Character is based on universal standards that are time-tested and recognized as being ethically correct. Character is written in every person’s heart and conscience (Romans 2:15). Even though the basic truth of a character quality is understood, there is a need for further clarification on how to apply the truth in daily circumstances.
I have collected positive character quality definitions for years because they describe pieces of the Godhead and assist in my personal spiritual exercise and transformation. They helped equipped me to pragmatically instruct my girls, as we walked through daily activities, living in a culture very different than our own. In the village where we lived, the Kuna practice of polygamy and early marriages combined with witchcraft and a village witchdoctor opened up interesting teaching opportunities.
My granddaughters, Catherine and Alexandra
A few years ago, the oldest of these two little princesses in the hammock saw her two daughters, my granddaughters, Catherine and Alexandra (now 23 and 21), accomplish an extraordinary act of compassion in just a few days. I was asked to wrap a collection of gifts, gift cards and get-well cards with money that they had gathered to give to Alexandra’s teacher at school. Her heart had been challenged to encourage this young single woman, who had recently left her parents and siblings on the East Coast to answer a call to serve in our community here on the West Coast. She had taken a daily six-hour cancer treatment three months earlier and had quietly gone alone for the last six weeks, not wanting to burden or inconvenience anyone else. During her follow-up appointment, the doctors found the cancer had returned…aggressively! Alexandra tearfully shared with her sister, Catherine, the sadness she felt. Catherine, who was the school’s “Kindness Club” director, immediately joined hearts and hands with her sister, their mother (Christina), and many who heard of the need. Within just a few days came waking through my front door with a huge box-full of “encouragement” to wrap and be delivered by hand to this teacher.
The wrapped gift!
We respond to life according to our character, good or bad. Our wrong responses indicate our need. Our correct responses validate our victories. For me, this was a victory of gigantic proportion. Three generations clasping hands to compassionately encourage a hurting heart! Princess Charity in our Princess Parable Series was faced with the same choice my granddaughters faced. Webster’s definition of Compassion is “together + suffering; deep sympathy, pity”. “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” 1 John 3:17 Compassion is doing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts and meet the need of another. Christ is the greatest teacher that ever lived and our example. His compassion for us carried Him to the cross! Living outside our own self-life, being alert to another’s pain and not walking by without lifting a hand is our “Call to Action”. This time of year, certainly invites acts of kindness!
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
