happy (beyond belated) 3rd birthday.

on each celebration of their birth i write the twinks a letter. i’ve never been much of a card person. being a woman of far too many words, i figure there isn’t a hallmark on the block that could adequately express what is written on my heart.

aside from that, they are a form of reflection as i pause and give thanks for the previous 365 days of joyful chaos. my prayer is that these letters will also serve as a blessing to davis and berkley in the years ahead…words that will etch deep truths into their hearts over time.

words that remind them that the One who spoke the worlds into being, the One who commands the sun to rise & fall, that same One has uniquely formed them, as a display of His splendor.

the day will come… that dreaded day they will measure themselves against one another, against their peers, struggling to see themselves through the eyes of their Maker. struggling to believe they were created in His image, fully accepted in the Beloved.

aren’t we all victims of comparison, robbed of the joy that is ours when we know, really know, Whose hands have touched us.

if you know our children you know that they are different… gloriously different.

from the moment they drew first breaths… one cried… a piercing, shrill scream resembling less of a human and more of a wild feline. the other was silently whisked away for oxygen. one was near impossible to soothe, the other easily preoccupied by whatever was in their limited field of vision.  

these letters are a celebration of the glorious differences that testify to a Creative God…a God that takes great delight in the work of His hands.

a God that delights in you, davis & berkley.  

davis… small in stature, mighty in spirit. your tiny legs propel you, effortlessly bounding off any surface in your path. if it is out of reach, then it is yours to be conquered. nothing is too out of reach for you. how you crave adventure. fresh out of my womb, you forwent sleep…preferring to discover something, anything… to hold it in your gaze & take it in.

recently you began grabbing my hand to lead me to your world of discoveries. “look mommy, let me show you something! do you want to see?”

you see life with eyes wide open. i love that you do not miss any of it. a butterfly flapping his wings on the window pane. streaks of jet fuel drawing white lines on blue canvas. you take pleasure in things old eyes have grown dull to.

davis, you are a force to be reckoned with & your stubbornness is half your charm. you know what you want & how you want it. not that way, mommy, this way. and there is always a right way with you. something i know nothing about. (insert sarcasm here). i actually see so much of myself in you.

you feel deeply, tender to the bone. i can hardly stand to watch you cry without wanting to join in with you. sorrow melts every inch of your face before melting mommy’s heart. i never knew eyes & ears could frown until meeting you. i love your tenderness & pray you always feel deeply…the kind of feeling that connects you to the heart of God. His heart for people, His heart for the hurting.

and for as much as you feel, you giggle… the kind of joy that creeps up your throat & slips between a sheepish boy-grin. unexpected & hearty…& always infectious.

davis, you are the apple of my eye, the boy after my heart. i love that God chose me to be your mommy.

berkley… i’m convinced your heart is twice the size of the average person. your generosity astounds us daily. just this month i told your daddy you might be the kindest person that i know…& you just happen to be three.

you commonly set yourself aside to meet the needs or wants of others. if someone is without, you joyfully open your hand. you delight in giving, in loving.

we have had to convince you to hold onto your toys, snacks, etc. in an effort to teach important social skills to others.

“berkley, you can keep the toy right now…”

“but i want for him to have it”, you retort.

“he’s my bra-der & i love him.”

“here you go, bubba… i love you. you are my friend.”

speaking of friends, you have never met a stranger. just this week you waved at a middle-aged woman drinking coffee at starbucks.

“she’s my friend, mommy! i love her. bye-bye, friend!” you exclaimed with an energetic wave.

your love crosses social boundaries. you do not see age, color or economic status as a condition for love & acceptance. you extend yourself freely.

and in doing so, you challenge me to entertain angels.

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. hebrews 13:2 

your smile can light up a room & lights up our hearts. just another way you give… a physical expression of what is deep in your being, the love that you hold there.  

and your laugh - less of a giggle, more of a growl. wild & unrestrained…it fills the room & forces us to take notice

you are generous & full of joy… as much as you are bright. you are a student of life… recording information, conversations, experiences…often to our dismay & conviction. like the day i was parked at a red stop light.

from the back seat you exclaimed, “Go, dude! The light is green.”

a student of life, all right

you love life, my little party girl…

every day we pick you up from the church nursery or school goes something like this:

“Mommy/Daddy!!!!”

“i LOVE you!!!”

“where are we going next??!!” (with an irresistible smile)

you are always ready for the next gathering, the next encounter, the next opportunity.

berkley, my sweet one, you are a treasure… extending blessings at every turn. i am rich from mothering you.

davis & berkley…as the days pass like shadows, your toddlerhood slips further away & i see the young people you are becoming… the unique qualities that distinguish you from one another, from every other little person that bears His glory.

as you grow into the people God has called you to be, may you never define yourself by another’s estimation of you. you will always be too much & never enough all at the same time. my prayer is that you would instead receive value from the One Whose hands have touched you. He has gloriously formed you. He takes great delight in you & in Him there is fullness of joy.

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

we love & rejoice over you. happy belated birthday davis & berkley.