When all you can see is what's not there…

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me: your mercy, O LORD, endures forever: forsake not the works of your own hands. (Ps. 138:8)

The mind-battle-lie I fight daily:

Why are we the only family that struggles with this? 

The “this” changes with the weather. “This” can be eating-their-vegetables, picking-up-after-themselves, waiting-for-dinner-without-whining, going-to-Sunday-school-without-a-panic-attack. There’s no end to the variety of shortcomings we face each day and all too often that’s all that I can see. 

All I see are all the things that aren’t there. The missing things. Like the lists we shared last week, the things I don’t do. The vacuum of what’s missing is visible.

Kind of like the “S” in Heidi’s words. 

You see, my sweet Heidi-girl cannot do an s-blend to save her life. The “s” sound alone is fine, but blended with another consonant and the “s” never fails to fall.

The result is the cutest thing in all the world.

“Mommy, may I please have a ‘nack?” You better believe I’m fixin’ up something good. I love me a good ‘nack.

Then of course as she climbs up on her chair at the table: “Mommy, please ‘coot me in.” I ‘coot her in and nibble a few kisses near the edge of her mouth, inhale her apple-breath and say I’m going to eat her for a ‘nack! She turns hungrily to her bowl of applesauce and asks nicely for a ‘poon. I melt.

My favorite perhaps is reading the book about ‘piders. She thinks ‘piders are a little ‘cary, but still loves to read about them. Almost as much as she loves to count all eleven ‘tars in the ‘ky in her Dora book. Today on our nature walk she asks me to find her a ‘pecial ‘tick. And of course she also asks for help up the ‘tairs and asks to not have a ‘pank when she’s naughty.

Does it bother me one bit that the “s” fails to show?  Not a bit. Do I worry and fret about her future, plagued by fear for her SAT scores? Not at all. I think her missing s‘s are adorable, age-appropriate, and endearing.

I’m not bothered at all by what’s not there.

Every illustration breaks down, but don’t you think our Heavenly Father feels the same? Yes, the Patterson children haven’t arrived. And to no one’s surprise the Patterson mother hasn’t either. We’re in progress. Not slacking, not celebrating mediocrity, but still learning our letters.  I’m just so stinkin’ blessed by Heidi practicing her words, by Heidi continuing to grow …

By not letting her ‘lipped s’s ‘low her down. 

I know when I teach I say things wrong. I write things wrong. I do things wrong. There are more things “undone” every day than done. But I think the missing letters are endearing to our God as long as we don’t let them get us down.  You think? Of course it’s always pride that presses us into perfectionism. Humility isn’t surprised by dropped s’s … but also believes that God is great enough that in His timing He’ll perfect that which concerns us (Psalm 138:8).

God will bring back every dropped “s” in our lives. He will never forsake the work of His hands — that’s us. His mercy endures forever.

For all the things we inevitably drop, there’s grace.

{How does this bring rest to your soul today? Thanks, friends, for reading.}