No emergency

“Emergency Lissy”, I heard from a familiar little voice calling me as I trudged up the stairs at six am. I had heard her coughing, so I had gotten up and was trying to determine if I needed to check on the little girl I loved so much. What I loved was her confidence that no matter what she was facing, I would be there to help and I would not be too busy, or too annoyed or even angry or disgusted by whatever it was. I would help her no matter what, and she knew that.

As it turned out, she had eaten a lot of grapes the night before and she thought she was just “tooting” but the “emergency” was that the “toot” had left a mess in her underwear and she needed help cleaning up. I reminded her that when she ate grapes (or blueberries she cheerfully added) she needed to remember to go to the potty even if she just thought it was a toot, because sometimes it is hard to tell which is which.

We poured her a bath to help clean up, and I put her clothes in the washer while she washed in the tub, chatting cheerfully the entire time. She was not embarrassed and she happily apologized for her “emergency”, as I helped her. That confidence she has in good, always available to her, is something I am grateful that she easily demonstrates, and if she ever doubted my help, THAT would be an emergency.

When I returned from downstairs, she suggested that we do an early morning “exercise”. This little girl knows that I like to exercise early and when she is having a sleepover at our home, she always suggests doing something she knows I will want to do, which is something else I love about her. She accommodates other people, and is not self centered at all. For this reason I love to bend over backwards (figuratively) to do things that SHE wants.
“I just put my exercise bike out in the garage so we can go out there” and exercise, I responded.
“How about an early morning walk, and we can get some snacks and a drink, and I can ride in the stroller so I can eat my snack instead” she suggested as an alternative. (I laughed to myself at her revised edition).

So that is what we did. I made her a waffle and put some milk in a thermos, and we put on our coats and she climbed in the stroller. As I walked and pushed she munched and hummed to the christian music we had selected that were her favorites. It was Sunday morning so we thought “Jesus music” was the perfect choice.

The sun shone brightly, and the sound was crystal clear, piercing the stillness of the cold morning. Eevie loves the song Oceans (where feet may fail) a cappella hillsong by BYU noteworthy.
She loves the way these girls are singing, and I love the song as well.
My husband and I met a lovely Mormon family on our recent trip to visit my daughter on her boat in Puerto Rico. I was thrilled to be able to see where my aunt Joyce had loved living.

But I loved meeting people like this family, and recognizing that God is still important in different peoples lives, in spite of what “emergencies” the news seems to tell us. The love we can feel from God, to me must feel like the love that comes from a parent of loved one, that accepts, forgives, cherishes and blesses, and when we recognize it is present, we have confidence and grace.

And on this perfect, beautiful Sunday morning, surrounded by the song about walking on water, accompanied by this precious child, I was confident of, and could feel God’s love, and she could feel it too.
There is no emergency that is out of control or beyond God’s help. For this I am so grateful.