To my darling girl, my girl of grace.

Before I begin … A dear friend said recently,

“Sometimes life just becomes unsayable, and being quiet is the only sound a person can make.”

And so I have been, in my virtual space, sitting in silence while I do the hard, necessary work of surrender. It’s not that we don’t have a cup running over with all the goodness that God gives us – we do. But the Refiner’s fire is hot, and sometimes we are weary and burnt. This life, our life, is so good, but also sometimes it is hard. And so, we sit in silence and I do the work of surrender.

And my beautiful girl, you are my life-light in the midst of some shadowy days.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happiest of birthdays to you, the happiest of girls. (Two months late, technically, but really, who is surprised.)Your smile chases the dark away, and you are easy with it – making for mostly halcyon days in the first 365.

Like your rabble rousing siblings, I spy big personality in those big smiles.

You have six teeth, which took forever to poke out from your little gums and now can’t come crowding in fast enough. You love food. YOU LOVE FOOD. And if we aren’t providing it fast enough, you are quick to screech your displeasure. Your favorite game is putting things in containers and taking them out. Your face lights up at the sight of your siblings, and they love you fierce, a rare united front these days. You are completely read in on the word NO and you do not care to hear it AT ALL.  You are a participating member of family dance parties and can be found head bobbing, arms waving mostly on beat. You may actually dance better than me at this point. And when you are tired, a fuzzy blanket and your trusty thumb sends you off to dream land lightning quick. You are pulling yourself up on all manner of things but haven’t quite let go of your safety nets. I get it, darling girl. I do. It’s a wide scary world out there and you have a life time of being brave ahead of you.There is much to teach you in the days and years ahead-big things, like love, and obedience, and justice and the gospel of grace. Small things too, like brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, and the proper way to hook em’ horns.

DARLING GIRL:

The world will try and teach you – the voices they come fast and furious, and not always are they loving and kind. So we start this day, like the days before, and all the days after being the loudest voice in your sweet little strawberry blonde head.A voice of love, of gospel, and of grace. A voice that affirms your dignity and beauty from the inside out, a voice that teaches you to see the Imago Dei imperfectly reflected in yourself and the others around you, and to treat them accordingly.

A voice that tells you time and again – we love you. We always will. And nothing in this life, or any other, can ever ever change that.

Happiest of birthdays to my happiest of girls.

We love you so.

~your Mommy