"Fix it, Mommy!"

To say that my sweet, precious Anna Beth is a difficult child is quite the understatement.  It's kind of like saying that water is wet.  She is headstrong, stubborn as a herd of mules, and won't do anything unless she thinks that she thought of it first.  That said, she has a loving heart and a giving spirit that I wouldn't trade for 10 obedient, reasonable, submissive toddlers.

Last week she came running up to me with a sad look on her face.  "Fix it, Mommy!"  "Fix what?" I questioned.  "I bwoked it.  Fix it, Mommy!"  I looked in her tiny hand.  In it, she cradled a broken blue jumbo crayon.

My initial reaction:  "I'm sorry, sweetie, Mommy can't..."  I trailed off as she looked me squarely in the eyes. "Fix it, Mommy," she said with just as much passion and total belief as she had the first two times.  It hit me then.  This was one of those moments where I could justify that innocent, trusting faith that she had in me, or I could say no and disappoint her.  I have no illusions of being a SuperMom, but this was one of those times where I knew that not trying would be more damaging than trying and maybe failing.

With a grin, I said, "Okay, baby.  Let's get some tape and fix it."  We dug out some Scotch tape and wound and wound and wound it around the crayon until it (sort of) stayed together.  Anna Beth gleefully shouted, "Yaaaaaaaay!  You did it!  You fixed it, Mommy!"

As she ran off to play, I thought about how she won't always think that Mommy can fix anything.  My older two are well in that stage.  They know to ask for help when they need it, but they know that Mom can't do everything.  Thankfully, they know that God is capable of doing everything.  I am blessed that they know how imperfect I am and how perfectly perfect that God loves me (and them) in spite of our flaws.

While I can't do everything, I can do something.  I can teach my kids about how our sin has broken us.  It has reduced us to useless garbage that no man with any amount of tape can fix.  God knew in His wisdom that we could be fixed.  We can be bound back together with the healing blood of Jesus Christ.  It heals our brokenness, it washes away our sin, and it restores our lives.  All God asks in return is total belief...the innocent, trusting faith of a child to believe that He is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do.  I am grateful to be His child.