Her Ways

Her ways never cease to amaze me. Her ways are beyond her years. Her ways are carefree and friendly and full of joy and excitement, and void of fear and self-consiousness. Her ways inspire me. Yes, I am inspired by a little girl, a few weeks shy of being two years old.

If only I had half as much heart and openness as her. Not a stranger will walk by without being acknowledged with a big wave, a huge smile, and a resounding "Hi!" And not one of those strangers has yet to not smile back. I believe God brings children into this world to bring joy to everyone around them, especially those who are lacking it. She will make anyone feel special. She will have the longest conversation with anyone that will give her the time. She trusts. She approaches. She loves. She is the epitome of who Christ is and wants us to be. I am truly blessed by this little person, my daughter.

She has led me to so many people, so many conversations have been started and friendships have been made because of her ways. I have no doubt in my mind that God has a special purpose for this little child. A child who really has faith like a child.

And no fear. She will throw her arms around the biggest dogs and beg them for kisses without ever stepping back. No fear. We strive to keep her this way. To teach her the dangers that are around, but not to instil fear. Fear is manmade. Fear does not come from God. I don't want to instil my own irrational fears on my daughter, or anyone's irrational fears, for that matter. When we see a spider, we do not scream. We marvel at the complexity of it's many legs and thank God for making all the animals. When we see someone standing on a high ledge, we do not remark on the scariness of such heights, for there is nothing wrong with heights, but only our own perceptions and fear of what could happen from that height. The word "Scary" is not often heard in this house. I've lived most of my life in fear and I do not want the same for my daughter. That is not living life to the full, and that is all I want for my daughter. Living the life that Christ intended for her to live. And her ways, her lack of fear, will give her the chance to live this life.

Her ways are one of knowledge. The things this girl knows at her age are astounding. The alphabet has been memorized (not the song, but the individual letters), her repertoire of songs is uncountable, her memory is so sharp. Not only does she point out the usual balls and cars, she also points out abacuses and helicopters. It's true.

And we laugh. Never have I had this much laughter in my life on such a consistent basis! Not a day goes by without a good chuckle on my part, and a good journal entry trying to write down the memory to remember forever.

These are her ways. I am so blessed to call her mine. I am so excited to watch her grow and to see the ways that God will use her to further his kingdom, even more than she already has.

(Pictures taken at 2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and almost 2 years old!)