Your Heart

Friday at my Women's Group with Mamie and Auntie Sue, three of the women asked for prayer for themselves and loved ones going through deep, heavy marital and relationship struggles.  Hurt, pain, broken hearts and promises so full of grief that even you, my sweet girl, felt the emotion and sat quietly empathizing the tears that were shed.  Your heart is already so big and full of love and care.  You feel things deeply.  I know I speak of this often, but it is something I admire in you and want to preserve and protect.  A heart like yours is both a blessing and a hardship.  It is to be guarded and nurtured.  I pray you learn at an early age how to discern empathy for others and to say no when necessary.  Seek after the Lord and He will show you the way.  Love well and often, but know when to hold back.  Your father is full of wisdom, discernment, and faith.  He has taught me multitudes of life lessons grounded in the Word and my prayer is that you too will see the example he sets before you of our Savior. 

Your father's love for you and your brother is fierce and selfless.  Often times when the day is done, and you are both sound asleep in your bed's we find ourselves talking about the stresses of parenting, the tiredness we feel, and the overwhelming joy that fills our lives in this new journey of parenthood.  Many of our evenings are spent cuddled up watching a show together as we let the day melt away from our tired bodies.  Last night was no exception.  The tears streaming down my cheeks were also no exception, as I often feel the emotions of the characters for more than your father finds healthy. Last night, however, as I felt my eyes welling up listening to the character of a father meeting his son for the first time, I glanced over at your dad and found a tear tracing down the side of his nose making its way to the cleft of his chin.  He has always been a sensitive soul, but fatherhood has changed him all the more.  He feels deeply for his babies, and often the thought of you two brings water to his eyes, and the thought of never knowing you nearly broke his heart.

My prayer for you my darling girl, is that you may "guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23)."  "Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:17)."  "Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful (Colossians 4:2)."  "Let your conversations be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6)."  "...in your heart set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do so with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander (1 Peter 3:15-16)."

I started praying for you and your future the day we found out your life was growing inside of me, and I will never stop praying for you and your brother for as long as I live.  I pray for your heart and your mind.  For your childhood, your friendships, your future spouse that he may protect your heart and love you well the way your father has so selflessly loved me and now you and Marcel as well.  Most importantly I pray that you learn to love the Lord at an early age and know what it means to truly follow after Him with your whole heart.  I love you my Zaylee Girl.