Dear Girlie of Mine - a Five Minute Friday post

So it is freezing here tonight... literally, raining frozen slushy wintry showers - but no snow. It's the kind of cold that makes me thankful for the warmth, and reminds me to pray for those who don't have somewhere safe and cozy to hang thaw out. 

I had a full afternoon, having to be out and about both yesterday and today and it made me really miss my girlie.  For the past nearly 20 years, she's been my wingman for all things Errands.  I know, I know... she's close - still living just minutes away from 'home' - but I don't get to see her much and when I do, well - she is exhausted and stressed out (finals week, anyone?)  So of course tonights' prompt made me think of her right away...

The prompt is: DEAR

Let's play...

{GO}

Dear Girlie of mine... (of Ours... of His!)

Gah, I love you so very much!  I am so proud of who you are and who you are becoming and I can't believe that God has blessed me with you and let's me have a front row seat to this life that you are living. Brave and Beautiful - full on and full of grace.

I know baby girl... I know because 1) I remember 19... and also because (2) I know you... 

It's hard some days. Living this life all growed up and carrying so much responsibility...

...always being the encourager and the one who sees the glass half full and always searching for the brighter side.  Some days it feels like too much.  Some days all that wanting to be independent and on your own feels foolish and like it's too hard --like you can't do it! (But you can! You are!)

Oh I know... you don't say that.  You are brave and even when it's hard, you know God and you have seen how He comes through, over and over and over again.

I know you know the end will be good, but sometimes it's the middle that can feel so uncertain!  It can be so foggy and it's hard to remember what the sun feels like and how the end will come around and it will all work out! (It will! It is!)

Things won't always be hard.  I know, even now - it's not all hard! It ebbs and flows because - Grace!  All is grace and God is good and Life... well, life is a mixture of hard and good and happy and sad... life comes at us fast and furious but we can stand tall and choose that... (the fast and furious) or right in the midst of it, we can choose peace and joy...

We can choose...

I love that you are my Girlie and that you have the best of me and the best of Daddy and the best of all the Father made you to be, and it's all being mixed and molded together and just in case you've forgotten in all of this stress and all of this fog...

You, my Girlie... oh My how you Shine!

(I know, right? Can you even handle it?)

There are times when I long for yesterdays - when you were little(r) and still let me sing you to sleep, tickling your back and laying together... I miss being able to pray over you as you would drift off, hoping and believing that the very words spoken over you would sink in deep.  (I still pray those prayers... and I still believe!)

But there are also times when I long for tomorrow... for I can see God at work in you, baby - even if/when you can't see Him or feel Him or dare to hope that He is there...

Oh but He is! He is right there with you, in you... and always, He is for you!

And tomorrow is going to be Amazing, my Dear!

{STOP}

Do you all remember being 19? Even in my fairly sheltered, charmed life, Nineteen was hard! I was prepared for my own hard days of adjusting to this Empty Nester life (which - in case you are worried, is not all bad - by the way!)... I just didn't really expect her hard days of adjusting to unfold just out of my reach!  Thank God for prayer and that He, more than I ever could be, is the Answer to every question and the Provider of every need met. 

No matter what we are facing - every one of us... we don't have to face it alone!

Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "DEAR"


Oh ...the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is!  Five Minute Fridays have been hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  This week we start gathering over at Kate Motaung's.  FMF is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE!  The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write using a prompt that Lisa posts at 10pm Thursday night (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!