Right Hand Over Her Heart

My vocabulary has never been very broad. Same with my spelling. I don't use big words and I certainly don't know how to spell them. I just learned recently what the word "allegiance" meant. The only reason I even cared or wondered in the first place was because of a song that Derek Webb wrote that sings about it. He sings about how his first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man. And I love that song, because he says that His first allegiance is to Christ. And I pretty much could figure out what he meant by just him singing it, but I really didn't know exactly what the word meant. So I headed to my favorite site, www.dictionary.com, and looked it up.
Once I saw the true definition, I was like, that's really cool, and realized it was a very strong statement. And especially if you are pledging allegiance to a Flag!!! (Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying I hate America or I'm anti-American, or that I don't admire the troops). But to use such a strong word, to make that statement, is crazy to me!
Even if I wasn't a Christian, and Christ didn't reign in my life, I would still find it disturbing to say "I'm completely devoted, or it's my sovereign etc etc...to a Flag or a Country". That is not what is first in my life. And when I talk or care about something, I want to do it with true intent.
So I was playing the song today in the car with my daughter. And I knew her old school/s in St.Paul didn't say the Pledge of Allegiance, (very liberal in the city), but because the song was on, I told her that if they ever do that at Hastings Middle School, to not participate! She's like "uh, Mom, we do it every Monday"! I was like "What"! I freaked out (not in a mean way), and said, "Do you even know what the word allegiance means"? She of course said, "No". I was like "Do you put your right hand on your heart and stand there and stare at the Flag"? She grinned a bit and said "Yaaa".
I was like "Nooooooo, don't tell me that"!
I went on to tell her that everything she does in her life or participates in, I want her heart to be in it. I want her to do it with meaning. I want it to matter and mean something. I don't want her growing up like I did with dead, empty rituals that meant absolutely nothing to me. I don't want her doing things without knowing why she's doing them, or what they mean. She said the school never talked about what it meant, or why they do it.
And surprisingly, Madelynn agreed when I told her not to do it, and understood why I didn't want her to. She's was all into figuring out a way she could stand (but not put her right hand on her heart), and go along with everyone else but change the words to something that meant something to her!
To stand there with her right hand over her heart, to me, is pretty serious. It matters. It matters to me, and obviously to her, that it ought to be something that she really understands, and that is important in her life. If she grows up and truely understands it and knows why she's doing it, and feels led to, and it's what she is passionate about, then that is great. But until then, it's meaningless, and I don't want her to participate.
I mean, talk about living this Christian life out, and not being conformed to the patterns of this world; this is a classic example!
So pay attention to what you are doing, to what your children are doing, and why you or they are doing it! Don't just do things if it hasn't gone from your mind to your heart. Don't do things or have your children do things just because everyone else is, or because it's common place. Or expected. Think about it. What's the meaning, what is the intent, is it in the depths of your heart? Don't be afraid to escape the mold of this world. You don't have to do anything.