Maggie

Tonight, I want to tell you a story about a little girl named Maggie.

I met Maggie in a mall between Allentown and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I believe. When I was shopping for insoles for my work shoes, so I could actually walk and drive home after I finished work every day. :)

Maggie, I think, was about two years old, with precious blond hair and bright blue eyes, and an adorable little smile. Scratch that part about only her blond hair being precious. SHE was precious. Such a cute little girl. I would be honored to take care of her any day, or even throw her up in the air and hear her precious little giggle or color pictures with her in Sabbath School. She was one of the most ADORABLE little girls I have EVER seen in my life. And I really mean it this time. (*grin*)

Anyway, so she was with her daddy when I walked into the store with my mom and dad, and she was toddling around the store like adorable little girls do when they are 24 months old and the love of every heart. The dad was looking at shoes, and he called to her (at this time I didn't know her name... And I adore the name Maggie... so my adoration of her grew twofold as soon as I heard her name, lol.)... "Maggie! Maggie, c'mere..." And she turned and looked at her daddy and she grinned. I can't imagine what it's like to be be the recipient of such a precious grin, when that grin comes from your own child. I think it would break my heart and mend it a million times in one second. One look like that, and I would be willing to die for that child. Believe me. I'm a sucker for kids.

So then little Maggie ran the few feet to her father and ran into his arms, and she clung to him like he was her life support when he lifted her to his side.

And then, he led her over to the pair of shoes he was considering. "Maggie, do you think Daddy should get these shoes?"

And while Maggie clung to her daddy's side, she grinned at him with all of her heart, her eyes, and her face and her mouth, and she proclaimed, "No..." But her eyes twinkled and her heart laughed.

So, in good humor, her daddy moved to another pair of shoes. "What about these, Maggie? Should Daddy buy these?"

Again... "No!!!" :) She was so precious.

I had to continue on my way to find relief for my poor feet on the road I travel, but in that moment, I saw the beauty of the relationship between a little girl and her daddy. And oh, how I want Maggie's easiness with her father to be the way I treat my Heavenly Father.

Till next time,
Ash the (Hopeful) Dreamer

free

i am free. i always used to try and imagine what it meant to someone who hadn't always been free to be able to say that they were free.

but tonight i know the feeling.

this is probably the most petty thing in the world, but this has been a truly long week for me. :*( since i have returned from going to school in the midwest, i have been used to basically working about 25 hours a week (at the most), and only about 4 days a week. a pretty relaxed lifestyle. :) this week, however, they scheduled me for SIX DAYS, but not only that... i think i almost worked FORTY-FIVE HOURS this week. almost DOUBLE what i'm used to. so that, alone, set me on edge. working six days in a row. long hours. crazy lines of people at taco bell (why doesn't anybody take the driveway just before ours, and go to wendys?). so that was pretty bad. but not only that... i've been stressing about school a little bit, and i've really been missing my little sister who's away for the summer, working at a Christian camp. that's all cool and everything, but i've really missed her. :*( so lots has been going on, and i just felt imprisoned by my schedule. :*(

but now... now i feel free. granted, i probably don't feel like a slave felt after they were freed, but i still feel pretty stinkin' good!

i usually try and blog about what i want to reflect on during a holiday weekend, or in the case of Christmas, a whole month, but only one freeing Revolutionary matters to me tonight--not Ben Franklin, John Hancock, George Washington, or Samuel Adams. None of them changed my life personally. But Jesus did when He died.

So Jesus is the Revolutionary I celebrate tonight, as I worship on this Sabbath day. I celebrate Jesus, because He is the One who died for me. He is the One that let go of Himself, so I could reach my full potential. He is the One that rescued me and set my heart on fire. Even as I say all these things, the words seem void of meaning, because Jesus cannot be limited to words.

So today, I celebrate Jesus, for ALL He does. :)

On my way home from work today, I saw a humongous bird (not sure what it was; my brother says it could've been a golden eagle) take flight from the side of the road, and it narrowly missed my windshield before soaring above the towering trees. It was a majestic thing. I remember being in awe, just watching it, but being also so glad that I didn't collide with it...

And I, like that bird, am about to take flight to be free, narrowly missing all the dangers I have faced, but ready, oh so ready, to soar. :)

Ash the (Freed) Dreamer