A WOW Headline

Typically, I pay little attention to the news flicks on my Yahoo! homepage, but this morning I was pretty astonished to see that a Victoria's Secret lingerie model had decided to give up her position because "my body should be only for my husband, and it's just a sacred thing."  Hello! Now that's not something you see in the news every day...or even every 10 years!
I was intrigued, and had to read the story.  It was enlightening that Kylie Bisutti, who claims to be a Christian, says that after reading the Bible, she has become more convicted about that aspect of her profession.  She doesn't want to be a role model that influences young girls that it's ok to walk around in front of guys wearing lingerie.  Good move, Kylie.  I'm praying that God will continue to guide this girl and that she will remain open to the Light that He gives her.
There are several observations that I glean from this piece:

• Kylie claims that her "lifelong dream" was to be a VS model.  I have no idea about her family structure, or her background, although it would seem that she grew up Christian.  Bringing this home, what is our responsibility, as parents, to help our children develop dreams that are Christ-centered and God-honoring?  Most of us would quickly agree that a career in modeling leaves room for huge temptation, as Kylie admits in the interview, and maybe we wouldn't consider helping our daughter fulfill dreams of that nature.  But I think that for me personally, it makes me ask myself: What are my signals to my kids about my hopes for their future?  Where is my focus today?  Are their peers, their activities, their influences working with us, not against us, in helping shape their direction and desire? 
• Kylie was married just before receiving her "wings".  So, as a young unmarried and a newly married woman, she posed for multiple shoots and those photos will forever be available.  Even when she is a grandmother.  I am concerned that my children understand (especially in this age of media advancement) that one bad decision can forever haunt them.  God provides forgiveness, but the embarrassment and humility can follow for years.  I'm really, really glad that social networking wasn't available to me as a pre-teen/teenage girl.  Not that I was a "bad" kid, but I don't even think most kids have the capacity to understand how "forever" something is when it is put out for the whole world to read, see, or hear.  It's one thing to make a complete fool of oneself as an adult who should maybe know better, but kids can really mess up their image before they even understand the word. 
• Kylie now understands that a marriage is a sacred commitment, and that part of her husband's gift from her is her body.  When other men are gaining sexual enjoyment from what is supposed to be reserved for one's husband, the gift kinda loses its value.  How can we better protect our children from the sexualization of our society?  As a mom who is now trying to outfit a 7-year-old daughter with a modest, girlie wardrobe, I'm stunned at the junk I have to sift through at the average department store in the size 7-16 section.  And I'm worried for the future - sewing machines and I don't have a great working relationship!  Beyond that, I want to make sure that my children are learning young to protect their minds, their eyes, their hearts, and their bodies for the one with whom they will spend the rest of their lives. We are trying to be proactive with our children by giving them facts before they learn from others, not shying away from the tough subjects, keeping open communication (if my kid isn't talking...there's a reason), and not assuming anything. 

I desperately wish that there would be a revolution in this generation of twenty-somethings that would wield a positive influence for righteousness and morality.  Unfortunately, most people under the age of 50 have no foundation upon which to even begin to build a charactered life.  That makes me sad, and yes, less hopeful for our country's future. 
But...you and I have an opportunity to change our little corner of the world by, day in and day out, doing what it takes to raise more people who will catch and continue our vision.  The Light of the World, shining through us, can penetrate the darkness that surrounds us.  Just think of what He can do with a few families that, as a unit, are committed to being pure and clean!
And I think I'll add Victoria's Secret models to my prayer list...obviously, God IS at work, even there. :-)

Have a great weekend!