My Heart Skips a Beat
Cadence and I have a pretty good night time routine going on down here. It involves a timer, a framed (and therefore *ahem* official) list, and most nights only minimal amounts of nagging.
The deal is, if she is able to complete everything on her list before the timer goes off, we get to spend the remaining time reading bedtime stories. This kid absolutely loves to read. The problem is, she does not love doing anything quickly.
A-ny-thing.
Sadly, last night was one of those nights where the timer went off mid-story. Now, sometimes I'm a nice little auntie and if she asks politely, I will let her finish the story. But on this particular night, any ounce of patience or abundant kindness I had left was completely spent during the 15 minutes it took to go potty and brush teeth. Fifteen minutes. And those are only items #5 and #6 out of the 11 things on our list...
So I mentally prepared myself for a meltdown, took a deep breath, and informed her that we would not be finishing her story tonight because she chose to take extra time in the bathroom instead.
The response?
She shrugged her little shoulders and said, "Okay Natalie. But will you stay and snuggle for three songs instead of two?"
Oh Lord have mercy, I am so undeserving of this kind of love.
As I laid there, attempting to snuggle with my squirmy little niece (she seems to like the idea of snuggling more than the actual act itself), I noticed a faint ticking sound. I glanced around the room trying to find the source of the noise without moving my body too much and thereby tipping little missy off to the fact that I was still awake. No clocks, no mechanical toys, no fans...what was it?
Then, she rolled over towards me and pulled our faces together and I realized: I was hearing her pacemaker. That ticking noise was the sound of the mechanical valve opening and closing in her tiny little heart.
Sometimes I forget what a precious miracle this child is. How beautifully she exemplifies the majesty of our God's creation. The infinite details of His handiwork.
The deal is, if she is able to complete everything on her list before the timer goes off, we get to spend the remaining time reading bedtime stories. This kid absolutely loves to read. The problem is, she does not love doing anything quickly.
A-ny-thing.
Sadly, last night was one of those nights where the timer went off mid-story. Now, sometimes I'm a nice little auntie and if she asks politely, I will let her finish the story. But on this particular night, any ounce of patience or abundant kindness I had left was completely spent during the 15 minutes it took to go potty and brush teeth. Fifteen minutes. And those are only items #5 and #6 out of the 11 things on our list...
So I mentally prepared myself for a meltdown, took a deep breath, and informed her that we would not be finishing her story tonight because she chose to take extra time in the bathroom instead.
The response?
She shrugged her little shoulders and said, "Okay Natalie. But will you stay and snuggle for three songs instead of two?"
Oh Lord have mercy, I am so undeserving of this kind of love.
As I laid there, attempting to snuggle with my squirmy little niece (she seems to like the idea of snuggling more than the actual act itself), I noticed a faint ticking sound. I glanced around the room trying to find the source of the noise without moving my body too much and thereby tipping little missy off to the fact that I was still awake. No clocks, no mechanical toys, no fans...what was it?
Then, she rolled over towards me and pulled our faces together and I realized: I was hearing her pacemaker. That ticking noise was the sound of the mechanical valve opening and closing in her tiny little heart.
Sometimes I forget what a precious miracle this child is. How beautifully she exemplifies the majesty of our God's creation. The infinite details of His handiwork.
Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you."
Ephesians 2:22 "...in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit."
1 Peter 3:4 "Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in."
Philippians 1:6 "...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..."
Comments
LOVE,
GRAND DAD