Life lesson #347 from one of my children this week:
Today we met a little girl named Rachel, and found out it was her fifth birthday. I asked Julia if there was anything she had that she would like to give her new friend, so that she could have a gift on her birthday. Julia's face lit up, she ran to her room and I followed. I thought of stuffed animals she rarely played with, toys on the bottom of the toy-box, but waited to see what she would do. She was searching purposefully through her drawers, digging through the toys.
"Do you want to give her this stuffed Rabbit?" I asked.
"No mom, no. I know the perfect things she'll love."
She smiled with excitement and held up her very favorite dress that she begs to wear every day, and her most prized possession, The Kitty Backpack from cousin Tessa.
I froze.
"You understand that whatever you choose to give will be hers to keep, and you won't have them anymore, right?"
"Yep, and these she'll love the most. They're the best."
With my first emotions I nearly told her to pick something less dear to her heart, less loved, less played with, less memorable. And then I heard God's whisper, felt Him nudge my heart. This is it; this is how we are to love-- this giving of our best, with lavish, wild, beautiful generosity, not holding back, our heart wrapped up and love spilling out.
This is how Jesus gives to us.
Tears ran down my cheeks and I squeezed her tight. "I delight in you, Jules, so much."
She was already running out the door, arms full. "I know, mom".
Today we met a little girl named Rachel, and found out it was her fifth birthday. I asked Julia if there was anything she had that she would like to give her new friend, so that she could have a gift on her birthday. Julia's face lit up, she ran to her room and I followed. I thought of stuffed animals she rarely played with, toys on the bottom of the toy-box, but waited to see what she would do. She was searching purposefully through her drawers, digging through the toys.
"Do you want to give her this stuffed Rabbit?" I asked.
"No mom, no. I know the perfect things she'll love."
She smiled with excitement and held up her very favorite dress that she begs to wear every day, and her most prized possession, The Kitty Backpack from cousin Tessa.
I froze.
"You understand that whatever you choose to give will be hers to keep, and you won't have them anymore, right?"
"Yep, and these she'll love the most. They're the best."
With my first emotions I nearly told her to pick something less dear to her heart, less loved, less played with, less memorable. And then I heard God's whisper, felt Him nudge my heart. This is it; this is how we are to love-- this giving of our best, with lavish, wild, beautiful generosity, not holding back, our heart wrapped up and love spilling out.
This is how Jesus gives to us.
Tears ran down my cheeks and I squeezed her tight. "I delight in you, Jules, so much."
She was already running out the door, arms full. "I know, mom".