January 15 – “A Mother’s Dream”

Noa and her brothers came over for a visit yesterday.  She and I worked on drawing some pictures together.  I would start an image and then she would put her hand over mine and “complete the masterpiece.”  We completed portraits of Mommy, the face with long hair that I thought would be easily recognized as Noa, herself, because I included a little pigtail poking up from the side of her head.  But then, I don’t suppose Noa spends much time looking in the mirror.  There was one of Daddy that she didn’t want to color over once we finished it.  That was the one with no hair whatsoever.  She just touched it lightly with the tips of her fingers and whispered over and over, “Daddy.  Daddy.”  You would think the little one might have some kind of special spot in her heart for her Daddy.  The third picture was going to be a bunny.  You know, the big ears and long whiskers.  I just had the face drawn when she noticed my scrawling.  After a point and a ponder she announced, “Doggy.”  Well, OK.  My drawings have been misunderstood before, as anyone who has seen my visual verse goat can attest to.  She helped with the body from that point one, and it was the fattest rabbit I have ever seen.  That’s when Micah showed up.  He of course had his own interpretation.  He assumed it was supposed to be a sheep.  So what was it?  Bunny-sheep?  Sheep-bunny?  Shunny?  We finally settled on Beep.  New creation in the animal kingdom.  Speaking of Micah, gotta do a little bragging here.  He won second place in his age division for art at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  How’s that for an accomplishment?  Way to go, Micah.

When I returned from the church yesterday Chris told me we have some new neighbors.  I tried to picture in my mind which house on our street she might be talking about.  Then she added, “the kind that comes over to borrow a cup of sugar or a glass of milk.”  Realization was slowing dawning on me when she finally confirmed it, “I’m talking about Nathan and April.  They borrowed our crock pot and then came back for some brown sugar.”  “Really upset you terribly, didn’t it?” I sarcastically mumbled.  And she smiled.  Finally.  The kind of neighbors a mother dreams about.

Psalms 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Father, thank you for “needy” neighbors.  Great to have them closer.  Amen.