hidden treasures

This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is the word dear.

What do I hold dear?

Such an overwhelming thought. Like trying to fit the size of the universe into something scalable. It just can’t be done.

Ann Voskamp’s #1000gifts has taught me that there are so many more “dears” in my life than I originally thought.

It was easy to recognize them over the Thanksgiving holiday and it was part of the reason I haven’t hit “publish” in over two weeks. More hours available to me to enjoy those gifts…

The slow-paced afternoon of Thanksgiving Day.

Leftover turkey, roasted sweet potatoes with paleo safe cranberry relish.

Staying up late with a good book.

Picking up an incredible gift for a friend during Cyber Monday shopping. (Pj shopping is the best!)

I’ve found it’s ok to saunter out of my place on the web to enjoy the things I hold dear on a deeper, richer level. I’ve found that even my prayer life becames more dear to me during this time. Those moments with God where I’m crying out to Him about something so critical. Something that seems hopeless right now…but knowing that He’s listening and will provide an answer…

is dear.

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Dear

Start:

God gave us our first two precisely three years apart. How different they both are – and I have to shake my head at my amazement. They share their space in a big bedroom in our house…playing dolls together when their moods are on even keel and embracing one another if someone tries to take the other out. But their identities don’t overlap. Much.

And I hold those moments dear of praying for them more in the past year than I ever have…

One has a spirit that is easily frustrated by her surroundings. She hides her hurt through angry feelings masked with silence. It builds within her and can only be tamed through one-on-one conversation…just one parent at a time.  She’s the self reliant one. She’s the one that’s far older than her years.

But not always. Sometimes you need to be small. Need to be young.  Need to…need. And as much as I relish her helping hands with the piles of laundry and her thoughtful acts of pulling back my bed at night when she sees I’m tired and still doing housework – I have to treasure when she’s young and needs me sitting as close as I can get under her favorite blanket. I tell her stories of my childhood and what I was like when I was young.

So I pray protection over her that her empathetic, fragile heart isn’t shattered by those who are less caring than her. Jealousy is one of the enemy’s favorite tools to break apart relationships and pull us away from God…so I teach her to pray blessings. Blessings over those who hurt her. Blessings over the world that is sinking it’s teeth into her. Blessings over what she does not understand at the time, but that God can use even that for His good.

And I hold those moments dear of helping her learn as I’ve learned.

The other one was such an easy baby. Quiet, content, tiny and precious. Of all of the births to occur in our family there was a sense of something different with this one. I felt vulnerable and incredibly protective of her the moment she cried out into this world. Seeing her tiny precious face moments later as she wore her Santa hat at the hospital (A Christmas Day baby), I couldn’t put my finger on it but I’ve treasured it in my heart ever since.

I think God used that first year of “easy” to prepare us for the boisterous personality that erupted with incredible energy that knows no bounds. She’s the most innocent thing and laughs at all of it – no matter if it’s appropriate or not – finding humor in the smallest things. Her sensitive heart amazes me and she would give the shirt off her back to someone in need. This one needs love…and lots of it (and sometimes candy)…but not material possessions. She never forgets to pray for those across the world because she wants Jesus to save. them. all.

Her attention span gives us reason to worry…especially as she struggles to read.  So I go to my knees in prayer to ask God for help. But her retention is amazing. If you can get her to stop and focus she can out “Bible” her sister by a long shot. She’s like a sponge and craves God’s Word…especially when Daddy reads it to her.

So I pray strength and patience over her – that she can be strong enough to battle through the distractions and focus on the task in front of her. She’s made for Kingdom work, this one…and the enemy knows it.

And I hold those moments dear of helping her cope as I’ve coped.

Those treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him and His peace floods into my heart, through these prayers.  It’s like that last wave so eloquently conquered by Bethany Hamilton on her board. It’s a climactic, emotional moment. One to be savored until the last morsel can’t be had. Without that prayer…without God hearing those words and helping me raise these rapidly growing little girls and their two younger siblings that will share a spot on this page another day, we would be nowhere.

And I continue to hold that gift from Him so closely…so protectively

…so dear.

Stop.

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I definitely went over my 5 minutes this week, but sometimes you just have to break the rules. Especially when you don’t write for two weeks.  😉

Won’t you join me this week for Five Minute Friday over at Kate Motaung’s page?  We’d love to see you there!  Just familiarize yourself with this page first, no editing, and set your watch for five minutes.

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