To Olivia

Isn't it funny how the body is willing, but the mind won't cooperate when it's time for sleep?  Today was a hectic day at the ministry - many projects to finish and a few that needed to begin.  My big project this week is writing a feasibility study and business plan for a start-up social enterprise catering business.  You would think that after hours of executive summaries, market research, sales and forecasting, the mind would be ready to follow the body to bed. 

As tired I was physically, I could hardly drag myself into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.  But I just couldn't turn off my mind.  Thoughts were tumbling around of my 17 year old daughter, Olivia.  In less than one month, she will be graduating from high school.  This weekend is her Senior Prom -- and you know how hectic (and expensive) that is.  My mind was reeling with last-minute "to do's to prepare her -- Saturday will be one of our wildest days this Spring, with all the appointments for nails, makeup, hair and photos before the 'big night" - and let's not forget about that long night of waiting up until the wee hours to hear about all the dances, all the fun, all the memories that she will not soon forget.

But my mind kept going back to life with Olivia and how quickly the time has flown by.  I really can't believe she will be in college this Fall.  It seems like just last week she was wearing little pink dresses and big bows and smiling that sweet smile that would melt any Mothers' heart.  I know that many folks think they have the perfect child.  I haven't really ever thought of any of my children as perfect.  But I truly believe that God put Olivia in the center of our family (middle child) as a balance, a peacemaker, a calm in the eye of the storm.  She is darn near perfect in that regard.  She is easy going, logical, caring and tender.  And she cares deeply about things.  Little things that others her age may have missed.

And then I remembered the letter.  The letter that I had begun to write her about life.  The letter that I was going to place in her Senior Yearbook, only later to find out that it would have cost me over $400 to place there.  So I had stopped in mid-sentence and tucked it away on my laptop until I could figure out how to raise that dough only to discover it was near impossible right now.


So, with no sleep in sight for a while, I pulled up the letter on my laptop and I prayed.  "God, please give me the words to say to Olivia.  The words I would say if it was the very last thing I could ever express to this dear, sweet child of mine."  And this is how it flowed:

Olivia:


We have attempted to provide you with insight into the important things in life, and we have been proud to see them take root, firmly planted deep within you;  to be good, always helpful to other people; to be fair, always treating others equally; to have a positive attitude at all times; to always make things right when they are wrong; to know what talents God has given you, and then to use them for His glory. To set goals for yourself and to be not be afraid to work hard to achieve your goals; to choose friends wisely and then to honor those friendships; and to particularly respect and love your elders. To always put God first in all things.

And now begins the harder part of being parents - it is time for you to use those beautiful wings that have been developing all along the way. And so we offer these words of encouragement and advice as you move to the next stage of life;  Know yourself well, listen to your emotions and adhere to your values.  Don’t be afraid to stick to your beliefs, to not follow the majority when the majority is wrong. Enter into a relationship with someone worthy of yourself, and then love this person unconditionally. And always remember to seek God’s will for your life in all you choose to do and to be.


In what we hoped to accomplish in raising you, if any of these slipped by while we were all so busy, we have a deep belief that you somehow know them anyway. One thing we are sure of is that we have loved you every second of your life, we have supported you at all times, and we will continue to love everything about you every moment of every day.

Congratulations, sweet Olivia. We are so very proud to call you our daughter.


Mom and Dad
 

I think she'll like it.  I think she'll cherish it and pull it out many times over her life to review every word, every thought, and hopefully, she will always, always feel the love with which it was penned.

The Perfect Mistake

Author Unknown

My mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen in one of the crates, which he had nailed shut.His brand new glasses were heading for China! The Great Depression was at it's height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $50 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this."

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in Chicago. The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top." The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued, "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that." The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking Him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, "Thank you God for not allowing my car to start this morning." He may have been saving your life from a car accident. May God bless your day today. Look for the perfect mistakes."

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)