Christmastime is extra delightful because our festivities conclude with celebrating a wonderful little girl who makes our family even more special. I remember waiting and wondering and feeling a unique kinship with Mary in the days before this child’s birth.

Her birth was not ideal. There were run-ins with the dr in addition to an immense amount of pain. I was startled by the bruising on her precious little face from the intensity of delivery but I was also awed by her beauty. She was such a beautiful infant and so ready to smile! We nicknamed her “birdie” because she smiled with a wide open mouth whenever someone talked to her.

As we moved into the toddler years we realized that this adorable little girl was anything but a compliant child.We soon learned that suggestions from us only yielded the opposite decision on her part. Now that she is older we have discussed this with her and she expressed to us that she doesn’t even know she does it. Her brain is simply wired to think outside the box: when offered three choices she will come up with a fourth. While this can make parenting her a bit challenging, we also see this as one of her strengths.

And she certainly is strong. She plays heartily, works tirelessly, and loves fiercely. She can even carry her hefty younger siblings and lift them in and out of their seats! We have noticed that she expects perfection of herself and is crushed when it doesn’t happen. Sometimes this causes her to withdraw from persevering in a difficult task; we hope and pray that as she grows in her devotion to Jesus she will trust Him to complete His good work in her.

As her name suggests, this girl brings fervency into our family. She has wonderfully huge ideas for how a day should go and fervently strives to make them happen; she has equally huge emotions when her plans don’t work out. We can often find her with her head drooped, shoulders sagging and tears in her eyes after she realizes, once again, that life is filled with disappointment. And yet I find her fervency contagious.

Just yesterday after she experienced a string of frustrations, she told me that she didn’t realize so many bad things could happen the day before her birthday. She also expressed that she never wants anyone to be upset with her. It was a big statement from a little girl trying to live well and tugged on my mama heartstrings. I want to mother her in ways that bring that wonderful smile to her face. I want her to dance through her childhood, lighthearted and joyful. I want her to know that here on earth a perfect day doesn’t mean a day without imperfections: it means a day when we are overwhelmed by God’s goodness and it’s all we can think about.

This little girl is a daily reminder to me of God’s faithfulness. She prompts me to live fervently and to speak honestly. She needs to know that God designed her in a beautiful way and her value is found in His perfect love for her. My prayer for her this year is that she won’t try to carry life on her own but will instead bring her burdens to Jesus. And may a smile fill her beautiful face when she remembers how much she is loved.

Happy birthday, precious Arden!