A Child Shall Lead Them

“Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day!” I read the words and my heart stopped as my body felt a cold sweat. Reading the words you would never have guessed that the birthday girl had “uninvited” her to the party that most of the girls in her class went to. I was not able to say those words to the birthday girl…. But this young lady could. And when I asked her about it, she said… “Well, I hope that she did, it was her birthday after all.”


I looked at this young girl on the threshold of her teen years. All I could think of was Isaiah 11:6 – “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”

I have watched her grow from this tiny little baby girl, who followed 3 older brothers. I have watched her go through 5 years of ridicule, because she had to have her 4 front teeth removed and she had the 1st grade “all gums” smile all those years. I have watched her be stepped on, pushed out and excluded, bouncing from one friend to another, trying to find a safe place to land. A safe place to share her heart. A place that could be trusted. This mother’s heart ripped and tore each time that she was hurt… it seemed I felt it 10 times worse than she did. She bounced back each time.

She found that safe place in the past year. She found it in 3 young ladies who have found the friend in her that I knew was there all along. They found in her someone who made them laugh and cared and brought joy to their lives. She found a home for her thoughts, feelings and her heart.

But more importantly she found a “forever” place to land in the One who binds our wounds and heals the broken-hearted. She found the One who loves her unconditionally. She found the One who loves her just the way she is… because He created her just the way she is. That was His plan all along. I have had the wonderful privilege of watching her grow into such a beautiful young woman with a heart like her Father’s. With eyes that see what others don’t see. With a heart that loves in ways that amaze me. With a forgiving spirit that outshines me many times.

She will walk out the door to school this morning. She will walk back into the school where the school week ended 3 days ago in much pain for her. She will be ok, I know. Because she has an army of people praying for her today. She has a Father who “will command his angels concerning [her] to guard [her] in all your ways.”

As I was typing that last sentence I found out from my very excited son that school has been cancelled today (due to the ice we are experiencing here). Isn’t God good? To give her one more day? To give things one more day for the excitement of the party to calm down?

Father, thank you for your love and care over us. How everything that happens to us in this life, only comes to us after it has been through your hands. You planned our days long ago; you knew where each of us would be this day, at this time. You knew what we would be experiencing right now at this moment. Thank you for being the God we read about in Psalm 91, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 103 and many more Psalms that speak to the needs in our lives and the praise that overflows from our hearts. We love you so…