Happy Meal Memories

My oldest daughter walked into the kitchen today, puzzled about life. She said that she was confused on what decision to make after highschool. She is contemplating Masters Commission through our church, or college right after highschool. She said that her friends are telling her how fast her senior year will go by and she is getting scared, not knowing at this point, which decision to make. Not knowing, at this time, has her worried to some degree. I told her to pray about it, that there was no need to rush or worry at this point. I told her to take the summertime to seek God about it. I remember when she was little, she was one of the simplest people I had ever laid my eyes on. She was very content and at peace with her own being. She had lots of toys, puzzles and games to play with, but these didn't interest her, as you would think they would have. As many parents do, we fed her lots of McDonald's Happy Meals. She loved McDonald's french fries. They were her favorite. With each meal, of course, she got a new toy. She began to love to play with the small, insignificant toys from the happy meals. So, everyone we knew, who would go to McDonald's, would bring her more happy meal toys. I had an old popcorn can, we had gotten one christmas, so I put all her McDonald's toys in it. Soon enough, it was filled to the top. This was literally, the only thing she ever played with. She would sit on her bed, and pretend for hours, with these little toys. She hardly ever, even glanced at the other toys and games in her room. There were even times, when I used them as a punishment, if she did not clean up her room or brush her teeth. But, I had nothing else to use. Nothing else meant that much to her. Well, except her dog Sebastian, the family Cocker Spaniel. She would sometime use him, as the "monster" or occasionally, the "dragon", that was running after, or trying to eat the Princess Barbie toy or the Pumba toy. I remember one day, she brought me a hand full of toys, and said, "Here Mommy, all you do is clean the house, so here are a few toys you can play with, so you don't have to clean all the time." For her to share her McDonald's toys with me, I knew how much I meant to her. Her generosity was inspiring. And another time I recall, when she came to me with two of the Barbie princess toys. One was wearing a pink dress with a tiara on her head, and the other was wearing a blue dress with a ribbon in her hair. "Mommy", she asked puzzled, "which one do you think is the prettiest princess? I can't decide." Oh, how I wish I could trade today for that day. If only her questions and doubts were still that simple. Today's decisions are so much bigger than those years ago. And just like she thinks her senior year will fly by so quickly, I look back at the past seventeen years, and think the same thing. One thing remains the same. She is still as generous, as when she was a small girl. After we talked a few moments about her worries about which road to take in her future, she said, "I know that it doesn't matter which decision I make, either Master's Commission first, or college first, I know God will use me wherever I go." Wow...said with such conviction! At seventeen years of age, to know without a shadow of a doubt, that God WILL use her, however He sees fit, and wherever she will go, is amazing to me. I am humbled as a parent. After all these years, to still be so content with who she is and where God will take her. I count myself truly blessed. During our Mother's Day service, our pastor shared four, very important elements, that we should apply as a mother. The last one he spoke of was "consistent encouragement". He said that we can speak life into their futures, by the encouragement that comes out of our mouths, towards them. I Corinthians 14:3, "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men." This particularly spoke to my heart. Decisions can sometimes be very hard to make, and not near as simple as, which Barbie Princess is the prettiest. And although I wish I had the answers for her, I can't help her make this decision in her life. But, as a mother, what I can do, is encourage her. Encourage her to seek God's face and to not stop until she touches it. There, she will find the answers to everything. And I know, that whatever she chooses to do, whatever God leads her to do, she will have an impact on this world, just like she has on mine. Encourage your child today. Speak life into them. So many times, we forget, while struggling to raise them on a daily basis, with very busy lives, to just speak our love into them. God created us all with a unique purpose for His kingdom. Encourage your child to find theirs. Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." My prayer today, for our nation filled with mothers, is to speak LIFE. We must speak life, encouragement, and love into each child we come in contact with. Whether they be our own, or someome else's. Can you imagine the impact that would have on this nation? In our house? Let's build up our children today, to become what God has appointed them to be!