My baby girl turned 4–my hopes for her

My baby turned 4 yesterday.   Except she isn’t a baby anymore.  She is a walking, talking young lady who has opinions of her own and her own cheetah print on zebra print style that reminds me of Punky Brewster in some odd way.

She is opinionated and strong willed and funny and a hot mess some days.  And I adore every part of her.

The older she gets….the more I ponder her future.  And my hopes for her future.  Knowing full good and well that my hopes may not be God’s plans……and knowing His plan is way better than mine anyway.

I wish I could bottle up all of my mistakes and my weaknesses and my trials and my insecurities and make sure she never has to go through any of them.  Yet I know she will face her own challenges. And that is what will mature her and stretch her and move her along to becoming closer to the women that God created her to be.   Just like He does to me. Just like He does to you.

The human, love-her-more-than-life momma part of me hopes her challenges are few.

And I hope the world is ready for my Ava.

I hope she will still want to hang out with her Daddy and I when she is a teen and an adult.

I hope she is never a mean girl.

I hope she doesn’t ever let the scale determine her self worth. And I also hope she never struggles with her weight.

I hope her heart is always stirred for the things of the Lord. 

I hope she can not only discern truth…..but act on it and live it.

I hope she is always teachable and humble.
I hope she picks good friends….from a young age. And that her friends aren’t necessarily the most popular girls.

I also hope she doesn’t look at the most popular girls and make judgements and assumptions.  I hope she gets to know people’s hearts.

I hope she keeps her purity for a gift for her husband on her wedding day.

I hope she loves school.
I hope she doesn’t get her feelings hurt and offended easily.

I hope she understands the value of each:  giving, saving and spending.

I hope she keeps a tidy house. But I hope her priorities are in order enough to let the dishes sit in the sink sometimes.

I hope she takes time to slow down better than her momma does.

I hope she is a hard worker.

I hope she prays. All of the time.

I hope her hair turns curly when she hits puberty…..just like mine did.

I hope she understands that while she is growing up I have to be her mom….not her best friend. 

I hope she isn’t interested in boys until she is 30.  Ok, that’s not realistic.  So, I hope she isn’t interested in dating until she is emotionally ready for it.  And that’s probably 29.
I hope she knows picking a husband will be the 2nd biggest decision she makes other than giving her life to Christ. I hope she chooses well.  And I hope he treats her the way her daddy treats me.

I hope she rebounds emotionally quickly.

I hope she learns to give others grace.

I hope she never struggles with an addiction.

I hope she is always humble enough to ask for help.

I hope her and her brothers will always be best of friends.

I hope she does not need the approval of people.

I hope she always knows her worth, her value, her place, her calling and her talents.

I hope she lives life with no regrets.

Darling Ava, happy 4th birthday. Your momma loves you fiercely