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Once again, one of my children has been a catalyst for self-analysis in my life.
It happened this morning when I went to get my daughter up and out of bed.
Before she had even cracked her sleepy eyes open, her mouth started moving. These were the words that came out of it:
“Mom, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Immediately, my heart began to stir. I was tired. Some things were weighing on me. But at the same time, her words resonated somewhere deep within me, where I longed to go and camp out for awhile.
It is the place where good things like faith and love and hope reside. It is the place where simple is better and less is more and naivety is a gift. It is the place where God is love and that is enough for me to want to share it with others. It is a place that has no real understanding of what people are capable of, and that is ok. It is the place where I am not over burdened, burnt out or jaded. It is a place of safety and trust – housing no control issues and no ulterior motives.
It is where a child resides because they haven’t lived long enough to be messed up by the crud of the world. It’s where my daughter currently lives, as evidenced by the joy felt in her words about her favorite day of the week.
It didn’t take much self-reflection to understand what God was saying to my heart…
“Love me like a child, Lisa. Remember what it’s like to rejoice over the simple.“
I know I can’t go back to being 7, again. Life has happened in front of my very eyes, and suddenly, today I become a woman of 38. But the ability to become open and willing and eager and joyful and optimistic is mine to claim. These things are possible, simply because Jesus is my source of life. Circumstances around me don’t have to change for me to saturate myself in the fact that I am a child of God, He loves me, and the day I have today is a gift, plain and simple.
Though the world isn’t always safe.
Though my relationships aren’t always easy.
Though words hurt, my body gives out, rejection happens and there are things I can’t control.
This is the day He has made. My daughter says it is reason enough to rejoice, and I happen to believe her.
2 comments:
Oh to hold on to the wonder we had as children. Great thoughts, Lisa.
Love you my friend!
I can rejoice today simply because I've been given this day to rejoice. So many have perished in the night to never breathe again. Sometimes, it needs to be just as simple as that for me to find my praise. As I hear my kids tussling around in the next room, indeed, I rejoice in another day to simply know them, be around them, learn from them, and try my hand & heart (yet again) at raising them. By God's grace and by his holy provision, we'll all make it to adulthood, them and me!
Love you sister. Prayers for you this night.
peace~elaine
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