By Reba Phelps
“MOM!”, I heard the shrill and anxious voice proclaim from the other side of the house. Over the years I have learned not to rush to the aid of this girl crying wolf. Especially if there is silence after the first announcement.
Calmly I continued preparing supper. After a few moments the girl made her way into the kitchen only to tell that she had broken one of my favorite plates. Years of practice has made me the most chill mother on the planet. My blood pressure never skipped a beat as I said, “Oh yeah, how did that happen?”.
“It was on the floor in my bathroom and I dropped your can of mousse on the plate so it shattered and mousse went everywhere,” she sheepishly said.
It took me a moment to count all the crimes she just described. Eating in her bathroom…gross. Taking my hair products without permission. Not putting up her dishes nor returning my hair product. Wasting my products. So many misdemeanors should equal a felony at some point.
All I could do was just chuckle and think, that’s my girl. She may get this behavior from her own mother. I recall routinely stealing Mary Kay makeup from my mom when her back was turned. She quickly cleaned it up so no harm this time. And, my time is so limited with her during this quick paced senior year, I don’t want to waste a minute on frivolous bickering.
Just this past week when school was beginning, I had several teacher friends and mom friends send me photos of my daughter participating in various things happening in school. I am also so grateful for the friends who send photos in my absence. It is definitely part of the mom code to return the favor when you see their children as well. Every photo that was sent my way, all I could think was… that’s my girl. There is no denying the fact she is mine.
When my oldest daughter calls with updates from her career choice of living twenty three hours away, all I can think is… that’s my girl. When she doesn’t return my call for days on end, when I check her location and she is hiking…worried as I can be, that’s still my girl. When chooses to go on another adventure rather than come home? Yep, that is my girl. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for either of my girls, the love is unconditional.
Proud. Angry. Worried. Entertained. You feel all of the feelings when you think about your children. Sometimes all of those feelings, all at the same time.
I can only imagine that God feels the very same way about us. He loves us unconditionally. He sees our crimes and loves us anyway. He knows our crimes before we even commit them. When we do things that make him proud and honor his name, I wonder if he says, “that’s my girl.” Just like a proud parent loves unconditionally, so does our heavenly father. When we fall short and sin, he still loves us. Although I do wonder if he slightly shakes his head and says, “that’s my girl,” when he sees our mistakes?
I am so grateful to be his girl.
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
