Littles.

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That would be my precious nephew Ethan, the one we flew from California to Michigan to meet back in May.  He was so teeny tiny in those first few days, and while he is still just a mini muffin he is growing and growing.

Being an aunt was not something I thought about much, and when I married the husband I automatically gained 6 nephews and nieces. Ethan makes seven, and I love being surrounded by these kids more than anything.

I will tell you that being around them makes me that much more excited for holidays like Christmas, or Halloween.  They get so PUMPED about simple things like board games and ice cream.  They are experiencing things for the first time like elementary school and how to deal with a bully.  I know when we have our own littles I am going to be so crazy protective, just hearing how my oldest nephew got picked on this past week makes me want to go punch a little 10 year old brat right in the face.  For some reason I don't think Jesus would like that very much if I did....

But you get the point.  Our world is so crazy you just want to protect the little guys, tell the little girls how pretty they are and that a negative body image will wreck them.  You want to shield them from bullies, and also scoop up the kids who ARE the bullies since you know their home life is probably a mess.  You want to fuel their imagination and teach them that being kind and forgiving is more important than being rebellious and sassy.  You want them to do all the right things since you know how much better it will be for them, all the while knowing they will probably make a lot of the same mistakes we did.

Thinking on these things reminds me that Jesus must feel the exact same way about you and me. He has the plan laid out in the bible, there it is, all the "secrets" right in front of us, but we still have to test the waters and take matters into our own hands.  Thank goodness He is there to love us when we come back, tail between our legs when "our way" doesn't work out.  In the same way, I will always be there for my little nephews & nieces, and our own children one day to scoop them back up, tell them I love them and try and make their way in life a little bit easier.

It's pretty spectacular how having children in your life-- in any capacity-- changes your perspective, right?

over & out,

a

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