A little lisp snuck up behind me at the kitchen sink and said “I have a thur-prithe (surprise) for you Mommy! Squash your eye shut!”
The out of breath commander just lost her first two teeth and every word snares my attention. With both eyes obediently shut, I spun around with exaggerated excitement and responded, “Is it another dead worm?! Or a cool bug?! How about a stick…”
“Mommy! Thtick out your handth!”
It wasn’t the familiar texture from the soft, spring dandelions I wanted to see, but the crooked-toothed smile beneath eyes yanked so wide open, it was easy to gaze on her perfect hazel eyes fully encased in white.
“WOW! These have to be the most beautiful spring flowers I’ve ever seen” I said honestly.
(Presume lisp) “Put these in water quick or they’ll die. I picked them because I love you. More than the whole wide world. They’re like the flowers in Edam and Ave’s garden.”
“Oh, I see. The same Edam and Ave you studied in Sunday School?” I asked with a restrained giggle.
But now I was talking to the back of a pink OshKosh shirt running away waving goodbye. I chased her with “I love you” and something sounding similar echoed in return. Didn’t matter though. I got flowers.
I plucked down a shallow glass bowl from the cabinet to plop the flower heads in, added water and watched as the sunlight prismed (it’s a new word) on the deck when i set it down. So this is love. It couldn’t be more beautiful to this Mama’s heart and yet such a perfect picture of MY love to my heavenly Father. A mixture of well-intentioned weeds with delicate flowers.
I smiled up at the sun and bathed in the grace of that thought. Then a dandelion prayer of praise with a bouquet of thanksgiving came from my heart as I handed it to my Father and said “I picked them because I love you.”
