Love is Kind

Out of all the people in the airport, she chose him.

We were waiting to board our plane to Colorado, just me and my little girl. She needed to expend some energy before being constrained in a seat with me for two hours, so I was letting her run around and play in an open area near our gate.

To my eyes he looked worn and withdrawn, closed off and a bit jaded. Even to a child's eyes, he looked different than anybody else in the seating area... which is why she walked right up to him. Face lit up, smile wide open, wearing her baby chucks.

You should have seen his face.

He didn't know what to make of her at first. She took him off-guard, it was obvious. Not used to being approached, much less by a smiley, curious little toddler. I was nervous inside (the responsible mother), about to intervene... but then he smiled.

You should have seen his face. His countenance shifted, like a cloud moving aside and letting the light in. He lifted his hand slightly, formed it into a wave.

Something in my heart gave way as I watched it all.

None of us are guaranteed tomorrow, and that includes my little girl. But as I was standing there watching her interact with a total stranger, the thought that blindsided me was that she was already fulfilling God's purpose for her little life. She walked up to someone with faith and trust, and shared love with them. It unhinged me.

Love is kind.

- - -

Every day before she wakes up, I start with a cup of coffee and some quiet time to read, study, and pray. By the time Tim gets off work, I've usually gotten a few household things done. But mostly, from the moment she wakes up to the time she sleeps... we play.

All day long, we spend time together. We go to the park, run errands, color and draw. We put shoes on the wrong feet and walk up and down the stairs backwards. We read books (GOODNESS do we read books!) and see if the story is any better if we're sitting inside her tent, or sitting outside in the grass. We make silly noises, sing songs, and come up with crazy dance moves.

And I talk to her about Jesus, in my weak moments and in my strong ones. Sharing and showing, explaining and expressing... It's the air I breathe, and she breathes it too. Watching these two loves grow and bind together is a pleasure I couldn't have imagined.

The Lord is using her little life in huge ways, on a daily basis... not just to share love with strangers, but also to inspire and challenge and deepen her mommy's faith. To open my eyes, make me braver, and tear down walls and prejudices I didn't know I had.

Love is strong.

- - -

Right this moment, I'm by myself. I'm at a local coffee shop, writing and doing some soul-care. It's surreal to remember that I once did this any time I wanted, without a thought or a plan... and how nice it was, but also sometimes how lonely it was too.

I've been trying to complete this blog for several days, off and on... but it's proven difficult. Often when my heart and mind are the most full is when I have the hardest time writing it all down. How can I choose what to write about? How can I pick moments and form them into sentences, when everything feels so fresh and close... when everything feels so dear? It feels like I'm cheating somehow, to write merely for the pleasure of writing, with no particular destination in mind... but then again, isn't that characteristic of an overflowing cup?

My days are full. Some are bliss, some are incredibly hard. Parenting a toddler demands things of me I don't possess. The Holy Spirit is vital... and having my sweet mom on speed-dial is too.

We are loving our new house. We aren't fully unpacked yet, but it will come. Our new neighbors have welcomed us and given us hope of great times ahead. We've got summer plans starting to fill up our calendar, and trips to look forward to with our parents and extended families.

And above it all... coursing through it, over and under, bracing and beckoning is this conscious understanding that all of this is a gift from God. Fleeting and precious, at once fully here and also almost fully gone. The Lord is good, and He is alive. He cares for us. He is love.

Love is faithful.