Dream Weaver

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., Emerson's first grade class was asked to write about a dream they have for their life. The only parameters given were that the dream had to be nice. Well played first grade teachers. I mean who wants to read 22 essays on the dreams they each had of potty words (which is, naturally, the funniest thing any six or seven year old can possibly imagine.) So Emie brings her work home today for me to read. I was ready for it. For the words about her dream to fly with a unicorn or grow her own fairy wings. All fine dreams for a seven year old girl. But what I found instead was a dream I could only hope to be brave enough to have for myself. It read:

"I have a dream. As a leader I can help people believe in the Bible. I can go around the world."

She included this picture of her holding a Bible and apparently sharing a word:

If you can get beyond the fact that she looks like a raging heretic in this depiction and remember that she really looks like this:

it makes more sense to see that her little protege looks pretty happy with what she's hearing. I mean if someone with this much peace and joy told me how she got it - I'd listen too. I'm pretty sure my heart grew three sizes today. I am overcome with love and admiration for this precious girl.

I just heard today that parenting is the only job you'll ever work where you don't get your first real performance review for 18 years. For so long the jury is out on whether or not the effort you're putting in is indeed resulting in a job well done. You just don't get to know until they're a little more cooked if what you're trying to instill and teach is getting through and making a lasting difference at all. Perhaps it's one of the greatest displays of faith there is. To trust that all of the work and sacrifice will bear a bountiful harvest. That God's grace will cover all of the areas in which you've missed the opportunity, said the wrong thing, tuned out. Believing His faithfulness to see you (and them) through even on days you don't see a single berry on the vine.

But every once in a while you get a little sneak peek into the future. You get to see that something along the way, some of your passion, some of your effort, some of your prayers have paid off in a big and eternal way. That indeed the job you've been doing is alright. Better than alright even. Today I got that little peek. I got to see that in spite of my own shortcomings as a mom something's getting through and a beautiful selfless child is emerging before my very eyes. The heart of this precious child is as pure as the driven snow. So much so that when asked to come up with any amazing dream for herself the first thing she thinks of is sharing the truth and love of Jesus with others.

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness."
Martin Luther King Jr.