A 10th birthday blessing for my eldest daughter

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It’s your 10th birthday! I can’t believe how fast the time has gone between now and when I first welcomed you into my arms. I love so many things about you – from your artistic side to your quirky sense of humor. I can’t wait to see the young woman you are revealed to be. As much as we share similarities, you are still your very own unique person, and I promise to do my best to always remember that. Now that you are 10, you’ll find that your focus begins to turn more and more outward from the family to the enormous world around us as you try to find your place in it. There is so much for you to look forward to! This time is full of treasures for your soul.

Being a young adult has many rewards and some painful instructions, but I know that Yeshua has and will continue to work strength in you as you navigate this path with His help. You can never go backwards in life, so my prayer is that during these next years when plenty of mistakes are made and lessons learned, you will hold on to your Savior and trust that when He hems you in it is for your ultimate good even when it might feel at times like He has no idea what He is doing.

I also pray that you will continue to embrace the principal of the first sufferer, as you are beginning to understand in your spirit. That is, that as believers who have Yeshua the Answer to everything, it is up to us to allow Him to pour out our lives for His purposes. This may not seem very wonderful in a culture that preserves self and self’s pleasures above all else. Sacrifice will never be comfortable, but God’s Word demands that we stand up for the helpless, downtrodden, and persecuted, defend the orphan and widow, evangelize the lost, and always point the way to the cross even if that way treads over our backs or traipses through our hearts. The rewards for living with eternity ever before us means that everything we do will have profound purpose and we will not succumb to wandering uselessly. If you commit to Jesus being the Lord of everything in your life, you will not be overcome by the pointlessness of worldly pursuits but instead will always have a secret delight in your heart. The point is, the glory of Christ’s kingdom yet to be revealed is beyond recognition to our little human minds.

Mom and Dad will do our utmost to continue to help you understand these things that are so counter-culture, but we also recognize that it is the Holy Spirit who will ultimately fashion you into the beautiful vessel your heavenly Abba wants you to be. We’re just your guide posts. Your faith is becoming your own and my heart is full to the brim with joy as I watch you step out into some new things and begin to trust the Lord for yourself.

I love you forever, my first-baby-grown-up.

Love, Mom