Adorned in a Superman T-shirt and red cape, national WMU president Kaye Miller described what she refers to as “Supergirl Syndrome” during one of the many conferences offered at Blume.
WMU president Kay Miller tells girls to prioritize their lives according to scripture.Girls today are bombarded with Supergirl things, she told attendees. “There are such pressures for you to be Supergirl – to do everything,” she said.
Using a piece of paper, she urged the girls to think of their lives as the paper, considering the margins. “When there are no margins, there is just a big jumble of stuff,” she said.
“You are facing activity overload, change overload, choice overload, competition overload, and educational overload,” Miller asserted. “People expect so much.” Other areas of possible overload she identified were information, media, ministry, noise, people, possessions, and work.
All of these things push girls beyond their margins. Miller pointed to a poster with the word “HALT.” “If you are hurting, angry, lonely or tired, you need to halt,” she said. “Stop and consider the cure (to ‘Supergirl Syndrome’),” Miller said. “It’s in scripture. When we take on the yoke of Christ, we are cured. God will take all your heartaches and make them light.”
Miller told the girls to ask some questions such as, “Have I stopped enjoying life because I’m too busy? Am I exhausted? Do I have time to spend with family?” If the answer is no, we are not carrying the load Christ wants, she said.
Miller encouraged the girls to consider how they are spending their time and where they can add margins. Referencing Exodus 20:8-11, Miller reminded them of the command to “observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
To help create a healthy balance, it is important to create emotional, physical, and time margins, Miller said. She told the girls that some things they could do to create emotional margins include cultivating social support, serving others, being grateful and hopeful, and giving grace to others.
Miller pointed out that the Bible gives Christians a “super costume,” referring to Ephesians 6:11-18. “Instead of having a secret identity, trying to please everyone and be Supergirl, put on the armor of God,” Miller said. “Take his word to the ends of the earth. You may not be called to be a foreign missionary, but God calls you to share. He wants you to do it in his strength, not yours. Take a moment and give everything you do over to the Lord.
“God created you exactly as you are to be on mission for him,” she said. “Don’t be Supergirl. Be the girl God’s created you to be, trusting him every step of the way.”