Truth in Target

I Am a Child of the One True King

“God saw ALL He had made and it was VERY GOOD!” Genesis 1:3

     Towards the end of the summer I was doing some back to school shopping at my “second home”, Target.  I was filling my grocery cart with crayons, number two pencils, composition, a hot pink pencil box, and a lady bug lunch box for my kindergartener and preschooler.  I glanced up ahead of me and there they stood.  It was a mother and daughter marking off items on their “Get ready for college” list.     I tried to hold it together until after I had checked out and was in the safety of my car.   I only made it to the parking lot, when the tears started streaming down my face.  My tears came as the result of being given such a heart racing, knot in my throat foreshadowing of my future.  It is a future with my two precious girls that I know will come more quickly than I could ever imagine. 

     Every morning in the midst of brushing teeth and making sure hair bows are placed perfectly, I make my girls take a moment, look into my eyes and I tell them. “You are smart. You are kind. You are beautiful. You are brave.”  Before they step out of the safety of the nest and into the big, bad, sometimes scary but also wonderful world, want the last thing their little ears hear, is uplifting, encouraging truth.

You are smart

     My two girls love school.  My kindergartener is up and happy at 6 am in order to be ready on time for kindergarten.  Even my preschooler is equally excited about her little school day. Watching them bloom as learners; gaining the ability to read, write and even do a little arithmetic, is an incredible experience.  As their minds are being filled with knowledge, I also want them gain to wisdom.  I don’t want them to just regurgitate answers on a worksheet and move on to the next lesson.  I desire that that take each little nugget of information and apply it to their lives.

     At home I try to apply what they are learning in their everyday lives.  As we drive to and from after school activities, I may comment on how the trees are green and the sky is blue.  I then may ask them to try to name something that is red or that starts with the letter “Z”.  Even though it may be a simple or even silly game, I want my daughters to know that what they learn in school can help them in more than just getting an “A” or a sticker on the top of their papers.

You are Kind

        I know that my two girls will be best friends one day, but there have been days at our house when I have doubted that fact.  Those of the days when I have said, “be kind, share, don’t push your sister”, about a hundred times, all before I have finished one cup of coffee!  One minute they will be playing sweetly together and then the next minute they are acting like WWE Divas!  As much as they love each one another most of the time, there are many opportunities throughout the day, to remind them of their sisterly love for one another.

     It is important for me to not only teach and guide them in how to be kind to each other but to also want them to be kind to those they come in contact with at church, school, dance class and in playgroups.  The world can be a harsh, scary and discouraging place.  I want my girls to shine and be a breath of fresh air as they encourage the people that have been placed in their lives.

You are Beautiful

     In my home you will find a lot of pink, sparkles, and princesses. Pretty much at any given moment, one of my girls will be dancing around in a costume, wearing a glitter covered crown or making sure their babies dressed and accessorized.  They are constantly asking my husband and me, “Do I look beautiful?”

     The world will tell them that they are beautiful only because of their size, the clothes they wear or how they fix their hair.  I want them to know they are beautiful because they are amazing creations of God.  That everything that God makes is “very good”, including them!!

You are Brave

     As my oldest stood next to her elementary school sign for the first time on our way into kindergarten orientation, I could not help but notice that she was not even as tall as the sign.  While I was a bundle of nerves, she bravely walked in, met her teachers and took a tour of her new school.  When it as my preschoolers turn to meet her new teachers, friends and take a look at her new school, she walked in with the same confidence as her big sister.

     God has incredible experiences and awesome adventures just waiting in my daughters’ futures.  My desire is to instill the truth of Scripture into their hearts, to give them the confidence to step out on faith into the perfectly designed plans for their lives.  Bravery is not the lack of fear.  Bravery is feeling scared yet holding fast to God, trusting Him to lead and guide each and every step.