Daddy had a hard-on-his-heart conversation with Sawyer yesterday. I didn’t know it had happened, as I was feeding Wryder in the other room but he told me about it later in the day.
He and Sawyer were finishing up lunch when she began asking him about her future…
S – Daddy, what will happen when I get married?
W – Well, you and your husband will have a wedding and then you’ll live together and start a a family of your own.
S – Will I live here?
W – Well, you most certainly can but when most people get married, they live in a different house and start a new life with their spouse.
S – Then I don’t want to get married! I want you to be with me! I don’t want to go live anywhere else! I want to live with you!
Then the tears commenced (on daddy’s part)…along with the gentle reassurances that daddy would always be there for her. He was still pretty choked up hours later. Those two have such a special relationship – it makes my heart dance with delight. (If she’s absolutely rotten one day, you’ll know why!)
Sweet girl, you can live here as long as you want! That thought will probably become appalling to you one day but we want you to know that no matter where you are or what you do or what the circumstances are or how much time has passed or who you are with — you are always, always welcome and wanted here. You will never be turned away. Our love for you has no bounds or conditions or distance. You have our heart, fully and completely. If we have you under our roof for 18 years or 40 years, neither of those scenarios or numbers would be long enough for me…but I don’t think any number would be “enough.” You’re kind of impossible to get “enough” of, ya know that?
We do pray that you marry well. I pray that you marry someone JUST LIKE your daddy. He reminds me so much of Jesus. I know I married up! Did you know that next to walking with Jesus, marrying your daddy was the best decision I’ve ever made? I live in the blessing of that everyday of my life and I most definitely want the same for you.
We’ve been praying for your spouse for as long as we’ve been praying for you! You deserve a man that will cherish you and love you and show love to you and value you and love your family and lead you and pray for you and worship with you and serve you and provide for you and protect you…a man just like Jesus.
Pursue Him, sweet one, and pursue only men that pursue Him, too. We want you to grow and dream and hear from the Lord and live out your life’s calling…we want you to use your gifts, your sweet personality and your heart of worship to draw people to Him…and if you want to live with us while you do that, well, that’s mighty fine with me.
But when you find that man that sweeps you off your feet…the man that captures your heart and makes it race with unbridled love and hard-sought passion…the man you want to spend all of your forevers with…the man you want to serve Jesus with…the man you want to start your own family with, in your own home…you have our blessing. He will be most blessed to have you. Truly, he will.
So be ok with that, sweet girl. We have a few years to really get accustomed to this idea, so I’m sure we’ll be fine. Just don’t think you can live in another town or state…that is not part of the deal. 😉
aaawwww….