will & t +1

After a long and brutal battle, Napoleon and his army finally conquered a highly prized Mediterranean island.

The usual sitting and drinking and savoring occured afterwards, but this evening saw a seemingly unwelcome and improper interruption. A young officer approached Napoleon.

Napoleon: What do you want?

Young officer: Sir, give me this island.

Can you imagine the laughing and mocking that filled the air? Presumptuous young man. As the other generals threw their arrow-words at him, Napoleon asked for a pen and paper. In a matter of minutes a deed was written, signed, and handed to the lowly soldier.

Surprised/indignant general: How could you do that? What made this man worthy to receive this great island after we fought so hard to win it?

Napoleon: I gave him this island because he honored me by the magnitude of his request.

Killed two birds with one stone today, we did.

Celebrated my first “official” (life at conception…last May Mercedes was ever my daughter and I her mother) Mother’s Day and Mercedes’s 10 month Birthday. 

The day was unbelievably gorgeous. This type of weather puts Minneapolis on the map. Or at least keeps people here for another season. City of lakes…Lake Harriet was struttin her stuff this morning. 

After a breakfast sandwich and some really bad coffee, we took a stroll around the neighborhood and enjoyed looking at homes we’ll never own the likes of.

Will kept saying, “This is what our summer has to be this year!” We are still remembering the reality that last summer…we had a baby. And that was our summer. A good one indeed (maybe the best depending on how you look at it) but it didn’t include much galavanting around lakes.

It was a sweet day for me. Mercedes was just there the entire day, and somehow God allowed me to just soak her up. She is what makes me a mother. My heart still just swells when I let it. I can’t believe how much I love her.

Yes, she’s goofier than ever. And growing…changing…like signing “all done” when she’s stuffed full of chili; loving her hammock more than ever; standing up on her own for 5 seconds; sleeping better at night; obeying “no” and “don’t go in there” (“come here” is next).

We swear she’s almost saying: duck, Dusty, mama, dada, all done, amen. (Dusty is the dog that lives upstairs, not my lack of cleaning…well, it could be that too maybe.)

She inhales chili, tuna, applesauce, chicken, broccoli, any kind of beef, silly little puffs, and really only drinks out of a straw. The sippy cup is lost on her…

I still find myself longing for her to be older, her walking beside me, chatting, and reading with her and talking about perplexing Proverbs. I love watching her discover new things even now, though they are mostly strings and the square peg fits inside the square hole kind of things.

I dream of her discovering bigger and weightier things. Like God and Jesus and sin and death and the cross and redemption and adoption.

But all she can really know now of those things comes from us. From dad and mom. So we kiss her often and squeeze her and laugh hard and say “no” and train and teach and discipline and pray and pray and pray.

We love you, dear Mercedes. 

February 18 we dedicated Mercedes to God at Bethlehem Baptist Church. 

Two of the most important pastors in our lives were involved: Pastor Kenny performed the dedication, and Pastor Tom prayed over us to conclude the service.

We just received the DVD of the service in the mail this week, and tucked in with it was the prayer. I love this. Our church is incredibly thoughtful and intentional in so many ways…and this is just a little one. And I’m so thankful to have this prayer in writing because it helps me to pray, and… I don’t remember a single word from the service. Funny how keeping your child calm and composed in front of a crowd will totally kill any ability to focus on anything else. 

Father,

All we can do is bow before you and proclaim you to be the Lord and Giver of life. You have given life to each of these little ones. Lord, it is a pleasure to give them back to you and to dedicate them to you.

We thank you, Lord, that you have entrusted them to these parents. As you have done that, you have promised grace as they lean not on their own understanding nor in their own strength but as they lean on you. Lord, I pray that as these children are dedicated that their moms and dads will be dedicated afresh, not to their own striving and performance but to their own trusting in you and giving their all for their children in the strength that you supply.

We pray, Lord, that you will fulfill these promises, and that you will enable them to fulfill these promises. We pray that when they fail, they will go straight to the throne of grace and receive grace and start afresh.

We pray, Father, that they would hear the Word from now on, and in your timing and sovereign way it will birth a seed in their hearts that will cause them to worship you forever. Our hearts’ desire is that each one of these little ones will call out to you for their salvation in due time.

Lord, we pray your richest blessing on these children and their parents. Cause your face to shine on them. Guard them in all their ways. Give them everything they need.

We thank you, Lord, that you are faithful and will carry them on eagle’s wings. We pray this in Jesus name.

And now children,

“May the Lord be your counselor all the days of your lives.
Even in the night, may the Lord instruct your hearts.
May you always set the Lord before you and may the Lord be at your right hands so that you will never be shaken.
May your hearts be glad.
May your tongues rejoice.
May your bodies rest secure.
May the Lord make known to you the path of life, fill you with joy in his presence, and give you pleasures at his right hand forever and ever. 

Amen!