The wind was whipping around us as we were spinning and twirling through the yard.
You long for a way to bottle it up so you won’t ever forget how soft her skin feels against yours.
How her little fingers played with your hair as we sat quietly together.
But, there are no magic bottles for collecting moments.
No spells to be conjured up in an attempt to stop time.
Just as a strong wind pulls and tugs at a boat tied to the dock, this world will try to pull her away from the security of being tied to our “dock”.
And even the strongest of docks have been known to be pulverized by gale force winds and boats tossed and turned like plastic toys in a bathtub.
So I pray for wisdom, protection, guidance.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6
What if instead of being tied to the dock, her boat was tied to a rock.
THE rock.
The only One that can withstand those hurricanes of life.
Immovable.
Unshakeable.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:2-3
Because, no matter how much I want to believe that she will find enough security tied to the dock that is our family, I know that there are some things from which I cannot protect her.
Things that we can’t predict and are beyond our control.
So, we too tie our rope to the Rock, trusting that He will take care of her.
Protect her.
Strengthen her.
Guide her.
And as we sit in that chair together on that warm summer day, she has no idea of the thoughts running through my head.
She just innocently waits for my reply.
So, I tell her the only thing she needs to hear at the tender age of 4.
“I won’t let you blow away sweetie!”
Thanks for joining me for this Simply Sunday at the Fence,
Imparting Grace: Grace at Home Party
wow….this post really touched my heart…the storms of life have come to my family…at times I wondered if if I would ever see my child again…how far would she drift before she would look back? …but as the storm has died down I can now see that the line is stronger than I once thought…so slowly she is drifting back to us. God is good…thank you for posting this today…I really needed to be reminded of God’s faithfulness
Very well done.
Tears.
You have a way with words – a true gift.
Such strong words. Words that take me back in time, to that place when I was that small daughter. Oh, I Loved my Mama! No, at that age, I was in love with my Mama! And, I know she shared the same thoughts and emotions about me, that you have for your sweet Girl.
Time has flown by and now it is Me, who has that love and desire to protect Her. Yes, the tables have turned! I just did a post about that deep love, last night. My precious Mama was seriously injured in a fall. TEN broken bones throughout her body. She is so, so fragile, right now.
I am trying to find a way to go be with her. To love and comfort and help her in her healing. She has a long road ahead. With two broken shoulders, a broken upper arm and broken pelvis, many months of physical therapy and surgery lie ahead.
You can read my post here: http://jomoseleysblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/lets-try-this-again.html
I want to share my Giveaway with your readers, if thats okay. I haven’t had much response and my blog is not well known. I want to get to her soon. Much love to You and your Sweet Daughter! ~ Jo
http://jomoseleysblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/ipad-2-giveawayfundraiser-for-my-mama.html
OH, Vanessa, how very deeply your words touched the depths of my soul!! THANK YOU for sharing your thoughts here! God’s faithfulness is such a gift! With it we can touch our children’s lives and make a difference that teaches them to trust in our Lord no matter what.
Now that I am a first-time grandmother and thinking of my role in the life of this wee little boy I am reminded that I just need to be there for him, setting an example of love and care, while he is young. It’s a joy to give him another person in his life that knows for sure that there IS an anchor in the time of storm!
How blessed your little girl is to have a mama like you and to know that you won’t let her get blown away!! SO SWEET!! Keep on treasuring those precious moments! What richness they add to life!
May God’s richest blessings be yours this day!
Joyfully……~Sandie
How sweet, these tender moments with your darling little daughter! They grow up way too fast! It’s wonderful that you are such a strong example to her and you are teaching her to trust in the Lord! She’s a lucky little girl. May God guide you each day as you parent your children and protect and bless your little family!
Linda
Just beautiful and so true! Yes they do grow up fast and we will not always be there to protect them from some of the harshness in the world. But hopefully with god’s help we are able give them a firm foundation to stand on and wings to fly with…thank you for sharing!
Wow, what a tear jerker! My husband just turned to me and asked, “are you crying?” They grow so fast and I get so sad when I think about how innocent they are, but know that it won’t last forever. My prayer is that I will do the best job possible and then be able to trust that HE will take care of the rest.
Thank you so much for sharing from your heart; it touched mine!
Hugs,
Angela
So beautiful! What a treasure this blog post will be for many years to come – for you, your daughter, and all who read it!
Doreen
Vanessa, I’m glad I saw this post this time. What a wonderful Mommy you are! I pray life is treating you kindly these days.
Lovely….
Thank you, Vanessa. This takes me back to the darling little girl you were – twirling and dancing and playing for endless hours.
Thank you for sharing your heart!
Love you, Mom
Visited your post on Glynnis Whitwer Spring Cleaning Series. Looking forward to visiting your site again when I have more time. Thanks for sharing.
Love this Vanessa. Beautiful! And you totally made me cry – maybe because I have a four year old girl too 🙂 Thank you for this!
Absolutely beautiful post. It was touching and inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful, beautiful post, Vanessa. And you’re so absolutely right. Gale-force winds will indeed come. No shelter is sufficient except the palm of His hand.
I LOVE this post. I actually just had one of those moments last night with my son. He was tucked into bed and said, “Will you let me grow up, Mommy?” I could barely talk through the tightening of my chest, and like you, I wished I could memorize his face and the feel of him at age 3 1/2. Letting him grow and experience the buffeting of the world is a frightening thought. Hopefully the faith we instill in our children as mothers will help them be strong. Thank you for a touching post!
What a beautiful post. This moved me to tears, I can really identify with every word of this. I am always saying to my husband, I just want to freeze our life.