If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11 NIV)
This past weekend, we were blessed to be able to get away, leave our state, and head to Georgia for a stay with friends and some sight seeing.
One of our stops was the American Girl Store in Alpharetta, Georgia. This was not a spur of the moment stop. Addie and I have been saving her money since she was 3 1/2 years old so we could purchase a doll of her choice. We also wanted to know that Addie was responsible enough for such a special doll, and we knew that if she helped earn the money for her doll, she would appreciate it and take care of it even more.
As our trip date came closer, Addie told her Grandpa (my dad) all about her future doll (Saige, doll of the year), showed him her catalog (which was coming apart at the seams), and watched the recent "Saige Paints the Sky" movie with him.
My dad turned to me and said, "She can't go into that store and only leave with a doll. I'm going to give you a check so she can get more than just a doll. And I want her to get the dress in her size that the doll is wearing."
I had ordered a little top for Addie to wear to the store that day and a matching one for her doll to make Addie's first American Girl experience as special as it could be. As I got Addie ready that morning, all I kept thinking about was the verse, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11 NIV)
God knows what our hearts desire. In fact, he has placed some of those desires in our hearts for us, like I did with Addie by showing her the American Girl catalogues since she was 3 and preparing her for the special gift that she would one day receive.
I also got to understand a little bit of how God must feel when we receive and are truly thankful for His Good Gifts as I watched Addie's face and heard the pure joy in her voice as she saw the doll Saige for the first time. The gratitude that she showed was truly overwhelming, and hearing her on the phone with Grandpa thanking him for his part in this gift for her made my Mommy-heart proud.
We ended our time at the store with a Mommy/Addie lunchtime at the American Girl Bistro. Just Addie and me. And we talked and laughed and ate. It was more than good. It was perfect.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change. (James 1:17 LEB)
(For the record, Ian had some bonding time with Daddy as they went to Build A Bear and made and dressed a little dog.)
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