Art and I went on a date last night and returned home to find our daughter, Hope, alone.
The other kids were living it up at Target. They had a list of things Jackson needs for college and mom's credit card. And they had permission to get dinner at the Target snack shop. We rednecks love the Walmart. But every now and then we go high class and head over to the Target.
And boy can you do some mighty fine eating at their snack shop. That is if you are under the age of 39. Much past that, the carbs will kill you. Live it up you young grasshoppers. Live it up.
Anyhow, Hope decided not to participate in the Target run because she wanted to stay home and write on her blog. She is her mother's child.
When her Dad and I got home, she asked that we both come sit on the couch so she could read a post she'd written about her Daddy. It was beautiful. It was an answer to many prayers I prayed when thinking about my future husband. Little girls who grow up without their Daddy's love think about such things.
Hope's assurance her Daddy loves her is precious to me.
Later, I decided to read the other posts Hope has written since returning home from Africa. And suddenly I remembered other prayers I've prayed for her. Prayers for her to be uncommon.
I've never prayed that Hope would be the most popular, most witty, most smart, or the most athletic. But I have prayed for her to rise above all that seems common in kids her age and live in the beauty of who she is created to be.
Rising above is not easy. Being uncommon is rare. And rare is hard at 15 1/2 years old. So, I'm not praying this any longer. Instead, I'm begging God for it from the depths of my heart.
Oh Hope may you...
Rise above the girlish chatter and gossip. When people talk about others in hushed whispers, they are saying nothing but how insecure they are about themselves. Be uncommon sweetheart.
Rise above the daily beauty contest. You can't see it now, but you have the makings of a gorgeous woman inside and out. Be uncommon sweetheart.
Rise above the incessant need most teens have for someone else validate your worth. No boy will ever be capable of truly making you feel pretty, witty, and loved. Let Jesus fill up those spaces in your heart and eventually show you a boy worth your time. Be uncommon sweetheart.
Rise above the talk about first kisses and stolen moments. Realize how precious and priceless your purity is. What a beautiful thing it is that you still have the gift of a first kiss to give. Be uncommon sweetheart.
For it is uncommon for a girl your age to want to stay home and write on a blog about her Daddy.
It is uncommon for a girl your age to find joy in shoveling animal poop for hours so kids in Africa can have an athletic field on which to play.
It is uncommon to be almost 16 years old and have never kissed a boy.
It is uncommon to spend hours dreaming of how you might one day serve God in lands most people have never heard of.
It is uncommon. Rare. Incredible. Amazing. Precious. Priceless.
That's who I prayed you would one day be and who you are becoming.
Rise above sweetheart. Be you. Continue to seek the uncommon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The heart of this post is the exact reason Proverbs 31 has started a new venture to encourage young women on our site called She Seeks.
If you are a mom with a daughter on the edge of womanhood who wants great material discuss with her, She Seeks is for you.
If you are an older teen who wants to get equipped to live your faith out loud and be uncommon in your peer group, She Seeks is for you.
If you are a college girl who wants to connect with girls one step ahead and one step behind in this great adventure of becoming a godly woman, She Seeks is for you.
Or if you are looking to win some really great stuff and enjoy talking up great sites on your twitter thing, blog, or facebook, She Seeks is for you.
Check it out. You'll be so glad you did.
The other kids were living it up at Target. They had a list of things Jackson needs for college and mom's credit card. And they had permission to get dinner at the Target snack shop. We rednecks love the Walmart. But every now and then we go high class and head over to the Target.
And boy can you do some mighty fine eating at their snack shop. That is if you are under the age of 39. Much past that, the carbs will kill you. Live it up you young grasshoppers. Live it up.
Anyhow, Hope decided not to participate in the Target run because she wanted to stay home and write on her blog. She is her mother's child.
When her Dad and I got home, she asked that we both come sit on the couch so she could read a post she'd written about her Daddy. It was beautiful. It was an answer to many prayers I prayed when thinking about my future husband. Little girls who grow up without their Daddy's love think about such things.
Hope's assurance her Daddy loves her is precious to me.
Later, I decided to read the other posts Hope has written since returning home from Africa. And suddenly I remembered other prayers I've prayed for her. Prayers for her to be uncommon.
I've never prayed that Hope would be the most popular, most witty, most smart, or the most athletic. But I have prayed for her to rise above all that seems common in kids her age and live in the beauty of who she is created to be.
Rising above is not easy. Being uncommon is rare. And rare is hard at 15 1/2 years old. So, I'm not praying this any longer. Instead, I'm begging God for it from the depths of my heart.
Oh Hope may you...
Rise above the girlish chatter and gossip. When people talk about others in hushed whispers, they are saying nothing but how insecure they are about themselves. Be uncommon sweetheart.
Rise above the daily beauty contest. You can't see it now, but you have the makings of a gorgeous woman inside and out. Be uncommon sweetheart.
Rise above the incessant need most teens have for someone else validate your worth. No boy will ever be capable of truly making you feel pretty, witty, and loved. Let Jesus fill up those spaces in your heart and eventually show you a boy worth your time. Be uncommon sweetheart.
Rise above the talk about first kisses and stolen moments. Realize how precious and priceless your purity is. What a beautiful thing it is that you still have the gift of a first kiss to give. Be uncommon sweetheart.
For it is uncommon for a girl your age to want to stay home and write on a blog about her Daddy.
It is uncommon for a girl your age to find joy in shoveling animal poop for hours so kids in Africa can have an athletic field on which to play.
It is uncommon to be almost 16 years old and have never kissed a boy.
It is uncommon to spend hours dreaming of how you might one day serve God in lands most people have never heard of.
It is uncommon. Rare. Incredible. Amazing. Precious. Priceless.
That's who I prayed you would one day be and who you are becoming.
Rise above sweetheart. Be you. Continue to seek the uncommon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The heart of this post is the exact reason Proverbs 31 has started a new venture to encourage young women on our site called She Seeks.
If you are a mom with a daughter on the edge of womanhood who wants great material discuss with her, She Seeks is for you.
If you are an older teen who wants to get equipped to live your faith out loud and be uncommon in your peer group, She Seeks is for you.
If you are a college girl who wants to connect with girls one step ahead and one step behind in this great adventure of becoming a godly woman, She Seeks is for you.
Or if you are looking to win some really great stuff and enjoy talking up great sites on your twitter thing, blog, or facebook, She Seeks is for you.
Check it out. You'll be so glad you did.
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