dear ayden.

Sweet, sweet Ayden:

Been treasuring some precious, fleeting moments with you lately. I know all to well that these days pass like grains of sand through an hourglass. You’re only two now, but there is so much I want to tell you – so much I admire about you. Today, you celebrated your Easter party at school. Your teacher told me that when it was time for the Easter egg hunt, you chose to go the opposite direction from the others and walk along the perimeter of the fence in search for your eggs. Successful strategy, as it turns out. I thought that was so precious. Same thing your daddy would have done.

Yesterday, we went to Chick-fil-A with your buddy, Gavin. He was trying to escape from the play area, and you ran to hold the door closed, and told him, “No!” You hurt his feelings by snapping at him. We talked about what you should do when you see your friends doing something they shouldn’t. Then, you bent down to his face and said, “Sorry, Gavin” in the sweetest voice. Your grabbed a tissue from his mommy and wiped away his tears, giving him a great, big hug. Then, you raced one another down the slide.

These are such sweet moments. Never stop loving people. I know that as you grow and come to know Jesus, you will only learn to love them more and more. I love watching you learn.

The other night, you got in trouble for pushing your sister, Brooklyn. Your precious heart was broken. You apologized and had to go to your room for bed early. You were so upset that you couldn’t even try to sleep. We talked about sin and disobedience making our heart dirty. We talked about Jesus making our heart clean. Then you prayed, with your hands folded. “Brooklyn. Push. Jesus. Clean. Heart. Thank you. Mommy. Daddy. Brooklyn. Chelsea. Walker. Bed. Pants. Shirt. Amen” was how it went. Tears streamed down my cheek.

Thanks, Lord, for planting seeds in this heart.

I think one of the greatest, most horrible consequences of the Fall is forgetfulness. We FORGET what God has done. We forget who He is. As if His Word to us was not enough, we see Him in our lives. We feel and know His grace in the depths of our soul. And we still forget.

That’s why I’m writing this for you now. Because I don’t want to forget, and I don’t want you to forget. Time passes so quickly. His love for us is great. It never changes. It never wanes. No matter the season or circumstance.

Love you more than words can express,

Mommy