I spend a lot of time with little girls. And when I say a lot, I mean a LOT. I am a dance teacher, and my kids are just the sweetest little nuggets ever. I also mentor a nine year old SASS-afras named Destiny. We were pretty much made for each other.
All of that to say, I'm pretty "in the know" about what's considered cool and popular in elementary schools. Jo-Jo bows, yes. Slime, of course. But LOLs. Oh my gosh.
LOL Surprise dolls are these little doll/pet things that are kind of creepy but ALL the rage. They're also quite expensive for what they are, and I think we're all suckers who are paying for packaging.
I was at the mall a couple of weeks ago with Destiny, and she dragged me into Justice, the holy land for all things girly. Because I'm a pushover and she's SO precious, I told her I would by her ONE thing. Immediately she knew what she wanted, but picking which LOL was causing her a lot of stress.
Part of buying an LOL is that you never know what you're going to get. You buy it without knowing which doll you have, and you have to unwrap a ton of plastic packaging to find out. Once you buy it and open it up, you discover the greatness that it is.
You can also look up the doll you have online and see how where it ranks in its popularity. Some LOL dolls are regular, some are rare, and some are ultra-rare. It's a brilliant marketing technique, to make little girls question the value of the toy they've invested in.
All of this talk of LOL dolls (which follows me everywhere I go) has gotten me thinking: what if we taught our girls about the rarity of Jesus, rather than that of a material object? We put so much stock in what's exclusive, what's one-of-a-kind, what's "ultra-rare." Doesn't Jesus Christ fit the bill for all of those things?
Jesus doesn't come with a lot of packaging, either. You don't have to dig through a mountain of plastic to get to Him. He is always upfront and honest about who He is. He never denies that He is the Son of God, and He is always clear about what it looks like to follow Him. There are no surprises where Jesus is concerned. He is who He says He is. He will reveal everything we need to know in His timing. One of the elder pastors at my church told me this the other day:
"People often say that the Lord works in mysterious ways, but that's just not true. If you read the Word of God and know His voice, you know what His promises are to you. Our God is a reliable, dependable God. He is not mysterious or hazardous or unpredictable."
Isn't that SO true? We serve a King who is open, accessible, and free. Isn't that so much better than paying big bucks for something that won't last?
And the thing of it is, Jesus paid for us! Never were we told that there's a down payment to get a slot in heaven. Never were we told that the King only accepts those who can buy their own grace. Jesus gave up His life so that our poor, broken souls could have a relationship with our Father. We need only accept Him as Lord and follow Him.
LOL Surprise dolls are temporary toys that will be lost in moments. God is an eternal being who gives us satisfaction and fulfillment for all of our days. Let's teach our little girls about the gift of Jesus, where we know exactly what we're getting: an ultra-rare relationship that is worth investing in.