I’m the momma to a sweet little girl. (I think most of you know that by now.) 😉
I spend my days laughing with and loving this wonderful, energetic, burst of sunshine…one that my Father knew our family needed.
And most of the days we spend together are truly wonderful…there are games and playing puzzles and laughing and usually singing. Listening to the Frozen soundtrack over and over. Dress-up and dancing. Furniture leaping when I turn my back.
😉
And, yes, she’s wearing a Halloween shirt.
After Christmas.
Because, you know, she’s THREE. 😉
But then there ARE those days, too.
The kind when age three takes over and the stubbornness (from both sides!) comes in, and we struggle.
Yesterday afternoon was one of those times.
I had things I had to get done in-between the fun of our day…and one of those things was our Tuesday, God-Sized Dream, prayer meeting over Google Hangout.
The routine is usually the same…Mae gets to pick out a longer show or movie, something that will keep her occupied while I’m doing that. And most of the time…most…it’s a good plan, and it works.
But yesterday, there must have been something in her apple juice. Seriously.
In the background of the phone call, she was howling.
I’m not talking the laughter kind of howling…I’m talking the wolf kind.
Ow…OOOOOOOHHHHHH! (That sound is really hard to put into actual letters.) 😉
I tried to gently hush her, and for the most part, she listened and went back to watching My Little Ponies.
And then…and not kidding here…just as I’ve uttered about TWO words of a prayer, she comes up to me. Yanks on my arm.
I gave her hand a little squeeze and tried to keep going.
But she keeps pulling, and I pause to look over.
She’s rubbing her belly…this annoying thing she’s started to do when she wants a snack. Which is like All. Day. Long. I’m convinced that toddlers want snacks all the live long day.
I shake my head no, but she’ll have none of it.
And as I try to go back to prayer, she hits my arm.
At this point, I have to excuse myself from the prayer and step AWAY from the camera.
After scolding her for hitting me, I take her into the kitchen to try to find something to get her through the last minutes of prayer time. Thinking she wants an apple or grapes, I go for the fruit.
No, mommy. I’m hungry!!! Can I have a Hershey’s kiss?
Really, child? You pulled me away from prayer time FOR. A. HERSHEY’S. KISS.
Those words may-or-may-not-have escaped my lips.
But at that point, I was more concerned with getting back to prayer time and keeping her happy (not necessarily my finest parenting here…) and so I obliged.
Miraculously, it worked for awhile.
Later when we’d finished prayer, and I’d hung up, she came over to me.
Mommy, I love you. I just want to be close to you. And she wrapped her arms around me.
And as we grabbed hands and went back to playing together, I thought of how blessed I am to be loved by such a wonderful little girl.
Yes, there are belly-rubbing, Hershey’s-kiss-begging, just-plain-bad, parenting moments…but there’s still love. Forgiveness.
And the deep desire to just be close.
Yesterday my sweet girl reminded me how much she loves me, even on the days I mess up big time.
And that was such a sweet reminder to me of how much my Father loves me, too, in spite of me being me, in spite of the times I mess up, even on those days when I don’t show the love I should to Him.
Friend, you are loved.
SO. Loved.
Remember that today. 
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I love my sweet friend, Holley‘s, new link-up! Her Coffee For Your Heart: 2014 Encouragement Challenge is just what it sounds like. Think of Wednesdays as that day where I just share some encouragement…and you can pretend that we’re sitting at a table over coffee, just sharing life. Sounds like a great way to spend Wednesdays in this space. I hope you’ll hop over and join us!
