I’m a girl mama. I love big bows. I love glittery things. I love pink. Not a day has gone by that my baby girl isn’t wearing one of those items. We love it. Even my husband has strong opinions about the big bows and pink dresses. Don’t let him catch her in a small bow! The bigger the bow the better. We are the epitome of girl parents. We love and laugh. We sing and play. We love big bows and pink dresses.
She’s just two months old and loving that mommy and daddy pick everything out for her. She has absolutely no say in the clothes she wears, activities she participates in, or music she listens to. All she knows is that she is greatly greatly loved and her mommy and daddy’s world.
Right now her world is so innocent and protected by big bows and pink dresses. She doesn’t know the conflicts shown on the news or what it means when we hear sirens flying down our road to pick up someone who is hurting. She knows nothing of hurt or pain of a loved one betraying you or of friends leaving you. She does not know the distain that sin leaves in the hearts of people or the effects it has on ones’ life. She’s just wearing her big bows and pink dresses oblivious to any of it.
In a blink of an eye she will know it all. Pain, hurt, envy, sin… There is nothing I can do to protect her from it. I can’t lock her away and throw away the key. I can’t turn everything off and play only Veggie Tails for the rest of her life. I can’t find a bow big enough to block her eyes and ears from the disease of sin that has cursed this world.
As badly as I’d love to try to accomplish all the protection I can for my baby, she is doomed to feel and experience all.
But here’s what I can do…
Before she was even born, her daddy and I, her grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, great grandparents… all began to pray and dream about the person she would become. I dreamed of having this little girl with all the bows and adorable dresses we could find. Of having a little girl that would be my best friend and wear matching clothes with her mom! I dreamed that maybe she would want to be a lawyer like her dad or a teacher like me or even a doctor! I longed for the days we would all watch her perform a dance recital or play softball like her grandmother. I prayed she would come to know Jesus as her Savior. I prayed that she would love the outcast and the broken that needed to know the love of Jesus. I prayed that she would be healthy and strong in her walk with the Lord. The dreams and the prayers for her were endless. And still are endless
But here’s the thing… she’s a little sinner. I’m a sinner. Her daddy is a sinner. Everyone she knows is a sinner. Like I said earlier she’s doomed to experience sin.
So what can we as parents do? Love. Love deeply and model mercy and compassion. Cast out shame and embarrassment and show your kids love, mercy, grace, compassion when they mess up! Obviously there is a time for discipline, but teaching our children to run to us when they’ve messed up is exactly what the Father wants us to do.
My Heavenly Father does not shame me when I’ve sinned against Him. I have felt his discipline for sure, but I’ve never experienced shame from Him. He sees me in my innocence of a big bow and a pink dress coming to Him for help because I messed up.
When my baby girl messed up, because she will, I want her to run to me and her daddy because she knows she can. She will know that there’s nothing she can do that will make us love her any less. There’s nothing she can do that would make us shame her. Again, not getting out of discipline, but knowing that her parents love her so much that any discipline would be from love.
I want to teach her this. I want her to experience and know the love of her Heavenly Father and see it modeled in her parents walk and talk.
She’s going to grow out of big bows and pink dresses. Her innocence will become less and less as she grows and learns, but she will never outgrow the love of her Heavenly Father or her mom and dad. I can’t hold her back. I can’t protect her from sin. I can’t keep her in big bows and pink dresses forever. But I can love, model love, and teach her love everyday of her life.
Tennessee Mama 
What an inspiring blog post! Thanks for sharing!
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Savannah Lee Newman is the most blessed baby girl in the world!! Bethanee, your words are like sweet aroma to the Lord. With God’s help you and Evan will bring her up to love Jesus and make Him the center of her life just as He is yours. She has wonderful models in your both. It’s my prayer that other parents would follow your example. Discipline is a good thing as long as it is done with the love you spoke about in this blog. Children also need the love, grace and mercy shown to them from their parents just as all of us have been given from our Heavenly Father. I am so proud of you and thankful for the godly mother you are to our precious Savannah Lee. You caused tears to flow down my face but it’s because you make me so proud to be your gran. I love you all more than words can say.
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Absolutely Amazing!! I can not even begin to express how much I love this!! I can’t wait for more… ❤️
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This article just warms my heart! I have no doubt that little girl knows how special she is even now! And what a sweet reminder to pray for our children earnestly and ceaselessly, never giving up and showing them the kind of grace that we have been shown by our heavenly Father! Just beautiful! Bless you, friend! I thank the Lord for you and your precious family!
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