We raised them to fly. From the beginning, we celebrated all the firsts. They heard our cheers as they took those first wobbly steps, as they fed themselves oatmeal with a spoon, pulled that first loose tooth, and wrote their first name in big, scribbly print. We posted pictures of birthdays, proms, athletic events, and awards ceremonies. Every time they took a step forward, grew up a little more, we celebrated.

I got the feeling as I listened to her that maybe she has doubted herself as I have. Maybe, like me, she has wondered if it’s even okay to dream; to want the things in life that light you up inside. After all, we should be content with what we have, bloom where we are planted…

What about you? Do you have dreams that are collecting dust on a shelf? Years ago, for whatever reason, you set them aside for later. Or one day.

I get lost in the imagery Isaiah was inspired to write. I am the work of God’s hand? I am his masterpiece, designed with purpose and beauty? Can that really be the truth about me? It’s easy for me to see the imperfections, the cracks running through my heart, the chipped and broken places. 

In the quiet of the morning, what once was a gray lump of clay warms my hands, and I wonder about my own design and purpose. Am I truly a beautiful vessel in his hands? Does he find joy in me despite my flaws and brokenness? 

We can resist this season, focusing on days gone by, or we can embrace this new season for the beauty and joy it also offers. We can sit in our quiet house, look through scrapbooks and cry, or we can enjoy a slow dance on the deck after a dinner for two. We can focus on the shortcomings of our parenting, or we can celebrate the wins (and offer to pay for their first therapy session). We can worry that we didn’t fully prepare them, or we can trust that God is the better parent and will fill in all the gaps.

Chances are someone reading this feels like giving up. You look around and nothing in life looks good right now. You may feel like your life is literally trashed; no sparkling treasure to be found. I would tell you, “it’s like digging for diamonds. Don’t give up.”

“God doesn’t plant desires within our hearts to let them wither and die.” - Holley Gerth

If you received this post in your email today, it’s because I wrestled with this yesterday. If God breathed something into my soul, spoke it to my heart, then he is asking me to bring it into the sunshine, water it, prune it, and whatever else is necessary to keep it alive.