I’m Not an Advocate

I’m not an advocate in society’s sense of the word. 

According to the dictionary, advocate means to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly. 

We see advocates on TV.  Some advocate for pets to get adopted.  To save the whales.  For everyone to have equal rights.  For everyone to have health insurance.  We all know the hot topic issues.  Some I roll my eyes at and others I can agree with. 

People spend money and time supporting and adovocating for their cause.  Grassroot causes are formed.  Committees are formed.  Protests in the streets.  Folks love to be stepping up for something.  To be FOR something. 

I’m not saying by any means that we don’t need advocates in our world.  Some folks need a voice that don’t have one.  Folks need to know about children who need to be adopted.  Folks also need to know about lives that need to be saved.

I’m not really an advocate by society’s terms.  I have my husband and my kids.  I’m travelling on the road with them.  We’re homeschooling.  We’re just kinda living.  Day to day.  Not really doing anything really over the top special. 

We have a daughter with Down Syndrome.  Sometimes I feel pressure (which I totally put on myself) about advocating for her.  Going to the rallies and taking this huge stand for Down Syndrome.  Letting people know what it’s really like.  How great my kid is!  Educating people on Down Syndrome and letting them know that it’s not all that bad. 

Because I’m not a huge advocate in society’s eyes, I wonder if maybe I’m not giving  my daughter all that I could.  What else do I need to give her?  What is it that she needs that I’m not speaking up about?  For all the world to hear?

Our daughter, Tullie, is an active member of our family.  She helps to entertain Boston.  She is the first to help to pick up.  She’s quick to forgive and love on siblings who are hurting.  She’s learning to read and write.  She’s excelling in learning her numbers and simple math.  She loves her friends and she’s very well behaved and loved by just abour everyone she meets.  She’s an absolute joy to be around.  I’m not totally sure what more I can do for her.

As I started to think about this I started to still feel unsettled about advocacy.  It’s just not me.  I don’t want a lot of public attention and all eyes on me and my family.   I don’t want to be the one rounding up folks and being taken away from my family for meetings and rallies and giving money for more awareness.  I have a lot to do at home and I have responsibilities to my husband and my kids.

Then it hit me.  I am an advocate.  I’m an advocate for Jesus.  My only job.  My only really important job is to advocate Jesus to my kids and my family.  All the other groups and causes can go by the wayside, unless for some reason Jesus really stirs a fire in my heart  for something. 

When my kids are fighting with one another I need to advocate Jesus and their little hearts need to soften towards Him.  When a child is being disobedient, I need to advocate Jesus.  It may not be world changing right now, but eventually I hope that it’ll change their world.  That their world as grown ups will be centered around Him.  My hope is that one day our children will love Jesus.  That He will be their strength in the times of need.  That He’ll display His goodness to them through the painful times.  That they will recognize His sovereignty in the darkness and that His light will shine in their hearts. 

I guess really this is all I need to be concerned about.  Concerned about my family.  Concerned about the hearts of my children.  It’s advocacy in a more simple sense of the word.