I love being an aunty. It's the closest thing to motherhood for me. Although I did not carry them in my womb, they are my blood. There is a connection that comes through the similar DNA we both have running through our bodies. Through that DNA, there are personality traits that are common. There are visible similarities such as curly hair and dimples. I have seen them from inside their mommy's tummy all the way to prom and graduation, and beyond.
This morning I asked God to show much a new view of the depth of His love for me. He brought me to Timmy, Erika, Sarah, Maya, Mikey, and Lexi; my nephews and nieces. He took me through memories of them that I've had.
I remember Timmy when he was no more than 5 or 6. He had headphones on and was singing from the top of his lungs a song from the Lion King. He didn't know we were listening. He just sang his little heart out. We watched on with huge smiles. It brought us joy watching him in that moment.
Erika had the greatest curly hair when she was little. She'd wake up from a nap with a huge smile. She'd look at us upon, waking with those huge dimples and big curls stuck on her face. Smiles would cross our faces seeing that look on her face.
Sarah from little would hang out with me. I remember the first time she spent the night with me. I was in my early 20's. She finally fell asleep with her bottle. In the dark, I laid next to her just watching her sleep, rubbing her cheek tenderly. I was in love.
Maya and Mikey have lived most of their life away from me. Though distance separates us, I love seeing them. Every time I see Maya, she gets more and more beautiful. Those greens eyes of hers are stunning. Mikey...I'm amazed at how much he's grown and how much he changes.
Lexi recently had a trip to Disneyland where she was finally aware of everything around her. I didn't get to go on this visit, but I couldn't wait to talk to her about it. I remember sitting her on my lap facing me. I asked her who she saw at Disneyland. She went down the line naming characters. "Princess....Bye Bye!" She said while waving her hand. Her face was beaming as she told me, and it tickled me to say the least.
As I went through these memories, God told me how much He delights in us. Just seeing us go through life, seeing our smiles, hearing our songs, seeing us develop, watching us sleep, hearing our stories... He delights in all of those things. He is tickled by us. A smile comes across His face when He thinks of us, his blood.
We often think that we have to perform to get His attention. We think we have to do these works to win His approval. We have to remember that first and foremost, we were created to be the object of His affection. And that we are... the object of the creator's affection. He loves you. He delights in you. He has loved you with an everlasting love.
Rest today. Stop striving to earn His love. He delights in you. He loves you. Nothing you do could ever change that.
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