Just Like You

A brief post to tie into Tuesday’s entry: 
(I realize some of the email subscribers didn't get Tuesday's post until Wednesday... Sorry!  Still working out the kinks.  If you missed that post all together, click on "That Could be John" to read it.)

My mom has given talks to young mothers in the past, many who were unwed teenagers and found themselves seeking guidance and support at a crisis pregnancy center.  These talks include simple ways to show tangible love to their children, to display Christ to these precious gifts that have been placed in their care. 

During one of my mom's trips to Virginia Beach, I asked her to deliver this talk to a group of my friends who all had young children at the time. I had heard excerpts over the years but was excited to hear the entire presentation myself, especially now that I had the perspective of a young mother. 

One of the many things that stood out was when she told us to make sure our children knew how desired and cherished they were (whether they had been “planned” or not).  If you had a daughter, for example, my wise mama said to make certain you frequently told her, “I always wanted a little girl just like you.”  This has stayed with me.  Wow, what a gift for a child to feel so loved.  I assume most parents feel this way about their kids, and I assume children grasp that.  Sadly, the older I get, I realize this isn't always the case.  And even if something is assumed, it isn't always stated in a clear and direct way... in a way small children can understand and take to heart.

Since I heard my mother's talk and absorbed her godly advice, I have told John and Daniel individually, “I always wanted a little boy just like you.” And I mean it.  I love having a special way to communicate my love to them.  I hope this becomes something they grow so accustomed to hearing from us that they even grow tired of it, are embarrassed by it, finish my sentence for me... all the while secretly delighting in it.  Yes, we all fall short as parents, but I hope to always incorporate this simple but powerful statement as I raise my children. 

As I stated in Tuesday's post, “This is my John, and while I eagerly anticipate what his future holds, I want him to know he is PERFECT just as he is." 

John, the ham 

I always wanted a little boy just like him.  Just like Warren.  Just like Daniel.  Like Mary in the Bible, I feel blessed among women (Luke 1:42, 48). And I will make it a point not to keep it a secret.

Warren at 16 days old

Daniel exploring our diapers.com boxes :)  10.5 months old now!

Here is an excerpt from "A Holy Experience" this Monday that truly touched me: 

“The scars can be beauty marks.” I tell this one little girl, a girl just beginning down her road. “The scars can carve you to be more like Christ.” Beauty always bears scars because of Love.

Click Here to read the full post from Ann Voskamp.  Her profound insights into the Christian walk, its joys and sufferings, are a blessing.