Naturally, I am an organized girl. Everything has a place and ahh, how peaceful when everything is in its place. You may think I am a little nuts. Or you may wish you had some of those characteristics. Either way, it is both good and bad to be an organized freak. Both a strength and a weakness.

As you can imagine having a tornado living room from a one-year-old can be trying on this momma. Part of me wants to follow behind her and pick everything up. Another part of me stops, “Just let her be a kid.” And so the struggle inside. Somewhere between tidy and chaos.

Slowly letting go. Letting my desire of the “should be” go. Giving my daughter the gift of freedom. Letting her be the little bouncy toddler she is.

This week as I saw my daughter on several occasions put things back in their places, you can imagine I was overjoyed! Mega blocks all strung across the carpet. At the end of play, I started to drop them into their extra large zip bag. After placing just a few my daughter followed suit. One by one she carried them to the bag and released…one by one. I was thrilled, to say the least. The first time I had ever seen her “put things away.”

Similar story. A few days later. From the cupboard, I grabbed a long sheet pan. Placing magnets all over it I then met my daughter in the living room. I showed her the magnet pan thinking this would be a fun new adventure. She looked at it. Took one magnet off examined it and proceeded to walk over to the refrigerator. There she placed the magnet and returned to me. One by one she took magnets back to the frig. Hmm, I guess she is her mother’s daughter. At least for now. (Just in case you were wondering she got distracted after three magnets.)

Those were two examples and throughout the week I saw a few more.

As I thought about this. How seeing her follow my example tickled me giving me an inner smile. Seeing how she is learning by example is a little intimidating yet encouraging.

Someday I hope and pray it is not just my example she is following. Someday I hope and pray she is following Christ’s example. His example is superior. Christ’s example is transforming.

Not only that, as I found joy watching her exhibit some of my character I also see God’s joy. The joy He experiences when we, His children, follow the character of Christ. When we walk in the light and truth what a blessing to our Heavenly Father. I believe God smiles just as I did with my daughter. God smiles at our obedience, our seeking after Jesus Christ. He is pleased when we follow in step behind Jesus.

Let’s bless God today. Why not? Why not put on the character of Jesus? Why not give our Father a smile? As parents, we sure enjoy seeing our kids grow. It makes us smile. Is it any different with our Father?

 

1 Peter 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ESV

Colossians 3:10, 12-14a and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, ESV

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV