appreciation.

tomorrow is the kids' last day of preschool for the year. hard to believe. this afternoon, we made appreciation gifts for their teachers. miss pattie for ellie. miss gloria and miss ashley for grayson. i bought pretty annuals at olive's nursery, and we embellished. we used colorful handmade paper to cover the plastic containers, and the kids decorated cards that read "thank you for helping me grow!" with stamps and crayons. we taped the cards and their spring school photos to bamboo skewers and stuck them into the plants.

love.

hopefully the teachers will, too.

shortly after we finished the gifts, ellie started getting ready to go to church with landon. i told her to go get her shoes on, which, for some reason, took forever. finally, she appeared in the living room doorway in the socks you see here, green shoes in hand.

"oh, baby," i said. "can't you wear sandals with shorts?"

"but i like these shoes," she responded, frowning.

"but the socks look silly."

"but i like these," she said again, emphatically, starting to cry.

{enter a huge check in my spirit.}

"who cares what socks and shoes she wears? why do you?"

"um...because she looks...dorky?" i thought, feeling sheepish as the idea materialized in my mind.

silence.

convicted, i called her over to me and started putting her green shoes on as the Holy Spirit began weaving together a lesson as only the Holy Spirit can do.

"you know how proud she is when she dresses herself. every time she comes out from her room, no matter how outlandish the outfit, she beams with excitement. and she stares into your eyes, searching for your approval, for your confirmation that what she's done is a good thing. that you are pleased with her. is avoiding dorkiness worth crushing such a tender and hopeful spirit?

"she is learning from you now whether the way she was created is good enough or if she needs to morph into something else. something that others will accept. something that is cool. do you want her to believe that doing what is cool or acceptable in the eyes of others is the best path? or do you want to teach her that she is fearfully and wonderfully made, pleasing in your sight and, most importantly, in Mine?

"foster those things in her that you recognize as being unique. when you are sensitive, you can see what those are. for when you appreciate ellie, you appreciate one of the most beautiful things I've ever created."