Significant

I get it wrong a lot.  I make a big deal out of things-- good and bad-- that won’t matter the next day and sometimes even the next minute.  But every now and then, I get it right and highlight the significant.  A couple of Saturdays ago, “now and then” came around and we celebrated the day Julia asked Jesus into her heart.  We did it small and simply in our dining room with a few friends.  My intention was to include friends of hers that I believe are in her life for the long haul, granted God leaves us in Fort Worth, and Moms that I believe she will look to when she needs someone other than me.  I think every year may look different-- some of the same faces, some different faces, and most likely, some faces I have yet to meet.  Some moms may be moms of boys or moms of grown children who become women Julia loves and trusts as life goes on.  Some will be ladies that Julia meets through life apart from relationships I have nurtured.  The celebration may be in our home, someone else’s home, at a restaurant, on a blanket under a tree or around a picnic table but the main thing is, I don’t want it to pass without making something of it.  

We kept our “tea” to an hour and each girl and Mom had a few words or a chosen Scripture to share with Julia.  She was affirmed by her friends in areas that are paramount at this stage of life and I loved that one shared that she would have “long life” because of it.  The Moms blessed me by blessing Julia with reminders of what a kind Shepherd the Lord has been to her by placing her in our family and how her inner beauty is what makes her beautiful.  She was encouraged in “quiet deeds and bold actions” to proclaim the name of the Lord.  She was also challenged in regards to her special story of how God brought her to our family and that she can be confident in Him because of His perfect care for her.  

It was quick but oh, so sweet.  In fact, it was so fast that I wondered later if it meant anything to her-- more than a fun time to see her friends.  And then a friend sent me this:

If you and I had been present [when the earth was formless and empty] to view the earth, we might have had the impression that because we could not see any evidence of God's activity, He was not doing anything. Yet at that very time, "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Gen. 1:2, NIV). He was actively preparing Planet Earth to receive His Word and be transformed into a place of beauty and purpose. (Anne Graham Lotz)

I pray that He, Spirit of God, is hovering over her and preparing Julia to receive His Word, shared by dear friends and that Julia will be transformed into a person of beauty and purpose.  So be it.


Now, THAT's significant.