She Wants To Be Like Me

Her beautiful brown eyes exuding joy at the invitation. She quickly pushes aside the toy in her hand.

Taking a moment to look me over from head to toe, she then runs upstairs. Promptly appearing again wearing an outfit that matches my own. 

She wants to look like me. 

She asks where we're going. "It's a surprise." I tell her. Eager anticipation bubbling inside of her.

As we pull into the parking lot, she smiles wide. She has longed to join me whenever I go to meet friends at Starbucks. She wants to be one of the "big girls."

She wants to be like me.

We settle into our over-sized comfy chairs with our yummy warm drinks.

To her delight, I pull out the Christmas sprinkles that I secretly brought with me. Her eyes big with joy. A gift just for her. Just to make her smile. Much like our Father does for us. Those little things.

I also pull out two notebooks and two pens. Her eyebrows furrow, yet her look speaks of a curious excitement. "What are those for?" she asks.

"Us." I reply with a smile. "You've wanted to know what the ladies and I do when we get together, right?"

She nods.

"Well, we talk about Jesus. And life. And encourage one another to see Him and love Him more. So, that's what we're gonna do. Would you like to do that?" I speak to her wide-open heart.

"Yes!"

She wants to do as I do.

We spend the next hour writing poetic musings about Jesus. Allowing our imaginations to run free as we sip from the warm goodness: 

Jesus, I love You like a flower loves the sunshine. {Catelyn} 

Jesus, I need You as candy needs sugar. {Catelyn}

We share them aloud. We giggle over them. We agree over them. We stir one another's hearts with them. We are spurring one another on in our love and faith (Hebrews 10:24). 

Such a sweet time with my daughter and our God.

"Every aspect of my life is ministry. I am preaching something every minute." -Paul Tripp 

This date with my daughter is simple, yet profoundly intentional. To be sure, I am teaching, just not in the instructional sense. Instead, I am leading by example. Inviting her to follow. She is learning. She is seeing. 

"O taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8 

Children love imitating their parents. My daughter loves to imitate me. And the Father loves it when we, His children, seek to imitate Him."...be imitators of God, as beloved children..." Ephesians 5:1. This pleases the Lord.

Because I know this pleases the Lord, my desire is to walk so closely with the Lord; to enjoy Him so fully, that I can't help but look more and more like Him. And in doing so, I may more accurately reflect and imitate Jesus for my children {and for others}. To be able to invite my children, with a clear conscience and a sincere heart, to "follow me as I follow Christ." {paraphrased from Philippians 3:17}

Overflowing the beauty and grace of God into another. What a beautiful responsibility and joy we have!

Father, I ask that You draw me closer and closer to Yourself, that I may learn from You and imitate You well. Because You are that wonderful. Amen.