Wonder in a 12 year old

Hey - ever get so caught up in the craziness of everyday life that you seem to forget what it's all about? Ever feel like your schedule owns you and not the other way around? Ever get to the end of the day and feel like you may have totally missed the point of life?

Well, here's a perspective moment:
My daughter, Emily, just had her 12th birthday. Now, as I am being hurled headlong into a world of "cycles" and giggling about boys, a world of dresses and makeup and hairdo's, I am overwhelmed and amazed. You see, on that crazy day - her birthday - which saw 8 - 11 and 12 year old girls spending the night at my house - I stopped for a second, several times actually, and really SAW Emily. There she was, laughing, giggling, running, smiling. She was filled with passion and joy, excitement and awe. She oozes life! She is lovely and amazing. In her i see the true meaning of life - there is something about her life that goes way beyond the everyday grind of get more, become more of the american way.

You see, i remember when Emily was born, she was small and delicate and tiny - she was helpless and she spit up so much that everything in our entire house smelled sour, and yet we didn't care. When she smiled, her whole body seemd to smile - she was amazing - our little blessing.

So, when she was born she was amazing, and when she is 12 she is amazing - all i had to do was stop...and...SEE. I had to notice.

How much of our lives do we miss because we fly right by the truly amazing things that are right in front of us? How much time do we spend on insignificant things when amazing things are there, under our noses.

You see the really amazing thing about Emily is how she is both the same person, the newborn...and the 12year old...both...and together. You see all the people around us, all these kids, they all grow this way - they are all babies, gifts from God and then they grow and develop and they have all that wonder inside them - how could anyone look at the way children change and seriously believe that they are anything short of amazing - certainly no chance that she happened as an accident - She is a beautiful proof of God and His love.

I read somewhere that when God makes us, He is making us because He believes in love so much that He wants to share it with someone - to expand the love(not unlike my wife and i did when we decided to try and have a child) - and that His making of each of us is His gift to Himself! I like to think of that. And I like to think of Emily...and when i do - when i notice her, i sometimes invite God into the moment with me, i thank Him for the amazingness of Emily and her life and His life in her - and in that moment i have broken another of the chains that have been placed on me by the american dream of always getting more - not me - i choose to NOTICE.

If you too are tired of busyness as usual this holiday season, come join us tomorrow night 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, we would love to hang out with you - and you will not regret it!