By Michael Desgrosseilliers, Elijah House Prayer Counselor
I was born with a very sensitive heart, and growing up I always thought I was weak and sissy. This belief even affected my stature—my nickname was “Little.” I was very small, and I was also a year ahead in school, so I was always the youngest in my class, which added to my internal sense of being weak and insignificant.
My father had no idea how to raise me. As a result, I grew up deeply wounded and more my father’s slave than a son he loved. I was a mess in many ways, but over the years God faithfully took the broken pieces and fathered me back to life.
Many of the things I endured as a child helped me realize how profound and sensitive the human heart can be. All of us are born with needs, and it is primarily the father who meets those needs. The mother is the main nurturer, which is also vital, but the father is the one who says, “Son, this is who you are. You have a very sensitive heart, and this is a good thing.” My entire outlook as a child could have been different if my father had known what to do with me.
If you have a sensitive child, one of the most important things you can do is speak life to them. It doesn’t matter whether or not you “understand” them. In fact, they might do a whole lot of things that don’t make sense to you at all! You may feel like the two of you are night-and-day different. But that’s okay.
As a mother, nurture your child’s sensitive heart. Let them know they are wonderful just the way they are—that they are a blessing and not a curse.
As a father, go out of your way to tell your child who they are and that they are good the way they are. That will be a game changer for them, and they will have a much easier time relaxing in life and growing up without fear or shame.
To learn more about this topic, check out the following resources:
- Letting Go of Your Past by John and Paula Sandford