Inadvertently, it’s been a fun game we’ve created where we hide “Forky” and Evie Caroline gets a huge kick out of it.  Actually, we all get the giggles from how the girls find such delight in this.

Assuming she was playing our game, I called Evie Caroline in our room and said: Did you hide FORKY? She said: “No mommy, for you when you need to rest.”

I was heartbroken that she knew how much I’ve had to rest in the last year. That my girls understand at 5 and 2 that my body fails me more often than not and I have to take time away. It gave me huge Mom guilt all the while—-feeling so cared for by my two year old. 

Evie Caroline was sharing her most prized possession her Uncle Trey gave her. She was showing understanding and love in the purest form. And I held onto that. But that guilt was still there. And I know the enemy will use it.

After a long week but amazing week last week, my friend Whitley (who is so good at asking me sincere questions), stirred this response in me into sharing about the guilt. 

She responded beautifully with empathy but also reminding me that the girls are learning consideration and care. 

And while that’s a hard pill to swallow of learning that this young, I was reminded of how God has used experiences in my life to help teach others what FAITH looks like in pain and suffering. How HE makes BEAUTY out of ASHES and how He desires to be in the position to show us such empathy in care in the moment. And ultimately, how God the Father gave us HIS most prized possessed.

In that moment, it hit me that my two year old understands this deeper than I ever have. This lesson buoys my faith just like these words have in this journey…

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” - 1 Peter 1:6-7

May we praise Him in how He’s using what we are walking through. That He cares, and that He sees you. You can rest in Him.