Here is a beautiful article written by my daughter ,Jackie. She is the one in Paraguay.
Little Girls
A Child's Prayer by M. Bentham-Edwards
God make my life a little light,
Within the world to glow;
A tiny flame that burneth bright
Wherever I may go.
God make my life a little flower,
That giveth joy to all,
Content to bloom in native bower,
Although its place be small.
God make my life a little song,
That comforteth the sad;
That helpeth others to be strong,
And makes the singer glad.
God make my life a little staff,
Whereon the weak may rest,
That so what health and strength I have
May serve my neighbors best.
On Septermber 17th of 2005 God blessed me with a tiny, pink, precious little girl. We like little girls in this house, there's something special about them. There's something special about little boys too but I don't have one of those, yet, so today I'm writing about little girls. My little girl is what most would describe as a "tom boy." She loves puppies, dirt, trees, and bugs. She's not afraid of heights, of being tossed in the air, or scraping her knee. She seldom cries when she gets a bump or a bruise. She tumbles, tots, and leaps. She runs, skips, hops, and giggles almost constantly. She is amazing. She has a few shiny golden curls, and tiny diamond earings. Most of her wardrobe is pink, and after about five minutes is covered in stains. She loves babies, and books. Like I said, she is amazing. It's a sobering thing to raise a little girl. This little bundle of energy will make or break one of God's men one day. It's my duty to make sure she makes him great. What do I hope for her? What do I wish for her? Here a few things.
I hope she loves to be feminine, and hold babies. I hope she likes to cook and clean. I hope she loves to read and see the world. I hope she she becomes strong and graceful. I hope she's a peacemaker. I hope she has the faith of Jochabed, the strength of Abigail, the purity of Mary, the wisdom of Elizabeth, the hope of Sarah, the love of Rebekah, and the prayer life of Hannah. I hope loves to learn and teach. I hope she loves to sing and has joy in her heart. I hope she smiles and laughs with her family. I hope she will be confident, but never aggressive. Bold yet feminine. I hope she is never scared of anything but always prepared for everything. I hope she is mannerly and fun. I hope she knows when to work and when to relax. I hope she is organized yet flexible. I hope she knows when to just sit down and read a book to her children. I hope she likes pretty things, and bubble baths, and perfume, and flowers, and paintings. I hope that she looks to godly role models such as Elisabeth Elliot and her grandmothers. I hope she seeks advice from her Daddy and then her later on her husband. I hope she respects her man, loves her children and reads Proverbs 31 often. I hope she is modest and pretty. I hope she becomes an expert at wiping tears, changing diapers, putting on band-aids, and hugging squirmy toddlers. I hope she seeks ways to make herself better. I hope she becomes trilengual. I hope she homeschools and eats healthy food. I hope she knows how to mend torn clothing and mend torn hearts. I hope she loves to live her life. I hope she is wise and frugal with money, and time. I hope she loves God and serves Him with every breath she takes.
None of this will be easy to accomplish and so much depends on the work of the Holy Spirit. In a world where a size 2 toddler shirt says "Sexy" on the front, it will be and is, difficult to find a pretty flowing dress. But oh so worth it. In our world of today, babies are sent off to day care as early as six weeks, how does one teach a little girl the wonders of that "new baby smell?" Or the softness of their round chubby cheeks? There are days when I just want to scream at the world, 'LET ME GET OFF!! I'm trying to raise a lady here!!" But what this dark, crazy, sinful world needs most is some ladies. A sweet feminine lady who will stand behind a strong, daring man and support him as he charges against the wiles of the devil with a Bible and her prayers. It's not an easy task, it doesn't pay much in money, but the rewards are endless. If I get to heaven and say, "God, I had a nice job, I made money, live in a big house, had my own car. My children had all the things they needed to be happy....but it all stayed behind. Even my children." If that is what I say when I get to heaven, I've lost everything. However, if I can show God the long line of children, grandchildren, and great grand children behind me, He will say, 'Well done.' That is the best reward of all.
6 comments:
I read this over at Jackie's and it really touched my heart. It breaks my heart that so many young momma's haven't got a clue as to how to raise their daughters, or sons for that matter. God help us teach and mentor more of them!
Very beautiful post., JM.
I have two daughters, 4 and 1, and know how you feel...
But you take the time, and make the effort, give your kids the example you want them to have.
We all deal with these issues in our own way:
A few nights ago, my wife made a Rosh Chodesh (beginning of a new month on the Jewish calendar, celebrated at the new moon, traditionally a holiday for women) celebration for the girls. It was beautiful to watch.
I appreciate this comment. I would love to know more about the Rosh Chodesh!
Rosh Chodesh is the beginning of a new month in the Jewish calendar. It's celebrated at each new moon.
I don't remember why, but it is traditionally viewed as a women's holiday. This past Rosh Chodesh, my wife and the girls lit some floating candles, and then said a prayer from a women's prayer book my wife has (it's a neat book; a collection Yiddish prayers composed in the shtetls of Europe).
There are some basic communal observances, too: on the Sabbath before Rosh Chodesh, a formal announcement is made of the coming new month, and a prayer is said asking God to grant us life, health, a living, etc.
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