Okay, don't get me wrong, there's fighting. And not-so-happy days. But when it comes right down to it, there is just love.
Kids are meant to be raised by a mum and a dad, who are married, who love each other and are devoted to each other and their children, their whole lives. That is God's plan. That is God's perfect plan.
That plan was broken in my family. And yet, I KNOW, deep in my spirit, that God STILL has a "perfect plan" for MY family. For us. For the four of us, who love each other. The four of us who love God. And I see God's small ways of showing me that my children will receive all the love they are meant to have. With him. With him as the husband and father in our family.
God gave my children each other so very specifically, too. Their individual gifts benefit each other. Today, though, I am overwhelmed with the love my daughter has for her brothers, and the love they have for her. It's been there from the beginning. They were besotted with her from the instant they laid eyes on her. This early shot of the three of them says it all.
Silas and Rory are a bit more prone to agitating each other, but it's pure love. He's been smothering her with it since she was tiny. And an interesting thing has happened. If he is upset, he generally comes to me for comfort. However, if he is upset with ME, he goes, not to his big brother, but to Rory. And he's done this since before she was mobile. A photographer friend captured these candid moments during a photo shoot in November. He was upset with me at the time.
Rory is most definitely a princess in the house. The boys will put up with annoyances from her without batting an eyelash most of the time. My family was over visiting last week and my mum said something about taking Rory home with her, and Silas quickly shouted, "NO! Then we wouldn't have a baby anymore!" He thought she meant she would take her forever. Just the thought of not having "our baby" left Silas seriously shaken.
A few days ago, I took the boys to see a play and left Rory at my parents'. When we went to pick her up, the boys sat down to watch a few minutes of TV while I nursed her. When she finished nursing, she got off my lap, and without hesitating, she went over to where her brothers were sitting on the floor, captivated by whatever they were watching. She stepped over Silas' legs, sat down on his lap, and hugged him. Then, she got up, moved to Ethan, sat on his lap, and hugged him. There were absolutely no thoughts or actions from either boy to move her out of the way so they could see their program. Their baby sister was hugging them and they just hugged her. It's a given. It is love. Sweet, pure love.
My heart is overwhelmed with all of this, not just because my kids love each other. But this is why. Girls need to know they are loved, cherished, precious. The "experts" say that if a girl is not given that kind of love from her father, she will turn to risky behaviours in her teen years to try and fill that void.
My girl is not being loved by her father in that way. Not daily. She doesn't know deep in her spirit that she is her daddy's treasure. She is not her daddy's treasure. A man does not walk away from his treasure. I know I will do everything I can to teach my daughter her worth. I know her Abba, her heavenly daddy, loves her like that. He loves her perfectly. And he gave her Ethan and Silas. They are not her father. But they are showing her how cherished and precious and beautiful and worthy she is. They show her every day. She will know, as a teenage girl someday, that two young men think she is so very worthy of only the most honourable love. I believe that.
God has a perfect plan for my family. I believe it.
A few days ago, I took the boys to see a play and left Rory at my parents'. When we went to pick her up, the boys sat down to watch a few minutes of TV while I nursed her. When she finished nursing, she got off my lap, and without hesitating, she went over to where her brothers were sitting on the floor, captivated by whatever they were watching. She stepped over Silas' legs, sat down on his lap, and hugged him. Then, she got up, moved to Ethan, sat on his lap, and hugged him. There were absolutely no thoughts or actions from either boy to move her out of the way so they could see their program. Their baby sister was hugging them and they just hugged her. It's a given. It is love. Sweet, pure love.
My heart is overwhelmed with all of this, not just because my kids love each other. But this is why. Girls need to know they are loved, cherished, precious. The "experts" say that if a girl is not given that kind of love from her father, she will turn to risky behaviours in her teen years to try and fill that void.
My girl is not being loved by her father in that way. Not daily. She doesn't know deep in her spirit that she is her daddy's treasure. She is not her daddy's treasure. A man does not walk away from his treasure. I know I will do everything I can to teach my daughter her worth. I know her Abba, her heavenly daddy, loves her like that. He loves her perfectly. And he gave her Ethan and Silas. They are not her father. But they are showing her how cherished and precious and beautiful and worthy she is. They show her every day. She will know, as a teenage girl someday, that two young men think she is so very worthy of only the most honourable love. I believe that.
God has a perfect plan for my family. I believe it.
2 comments:
Your boys are truly precious. What a gift they are to Rory. God is good. You are blessed.
And you are right -- God does have a perfect plan for your family. He loves you so much Krista!
John told me a story that he read of a little boy of 9 whose sister was ill. He was asked if he would give her his blood so she could get better. He agreed. As the blood transfusion was taking place, he began to feel weaker..it was then that he asked.."Am I going to die soon?" He didn't understand. He didn't realize that he was giving a little of his blood..not all of it, like he thought. So here this sweet, pure, brave angel in his mind thought he was giving his life to save his sisters. He didn't hesitate..he was willingly prepared to do what he thought.
I cried when John told me this story. For a child to have such love..incredible.
When I read the stories and look at the pictures..I see the love, it's all over their faces.
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