Miss Swan!

The sun sets, my cupcake and I are snuggled under the covers in the children's bed, the house is quiet, and that is when the two of us have some of our most touching conversations. I love those moments, treasure them and they usually end up being a teachable moment for me. The house is dark and quiet. Everyone has retreated to their respective beds to quiet down for the night. Our room is illuminated only by the lights on my phone and Cupcake's pad. We hear faint television sounds from my daughter and son-in-law's room which is next to ours. There is the usual soft conversation between us, her little hand rubbing my arm, some cuddles and kisses, and a few giggles about something cute on her pad.  Every now and again I get a beep from my phone giving me a progress report on how our grandson is doing. My husband and grandson are in our room doing much of the same; getting quiet and calm so sleep can take over. It is during this quiet calming down time that these special stay in your heart conversations happen.  

I would like to share one of those moments with you:

Cupcake: Meme, I want to tell you something!

Me: Okay my darling, tell me something.

Cupcake: Did you know my teacher's name is Miss Swan!?

Me: I did know that.

Cupcake: No Meme! Her name is Miss Swan but guess what!!

Me: Hmmm, what my darling?

Cupcake: Her name is Miss Swan but SHE IS NOT A SWAN!!! Can you believe that!!

Me: Say what!! That is crazy!

Cupcake: Yea, I know! But REALLY Meme...she is not a SWAN! She is a teacher! A real       teacher not a bird...you know a swan is a bird? (Such amazement!}

Me: I did know that but I am so glad I have you to keep me informed.

Cupcake: Yep Meme...it's crazy...her name is Miss Swan but she is NOT a swan!! Aren't you glad I told you! {Followed by a hug and a kiss!}

Me: I sure am! I might keep you around just to tell me these things!

It was at this point that the conversation was at its end and she had turned her attention completely to something totally different that was playing on her pad. I sat my phone down beside me and began to thank God for my precious cupcake, who has taken on the job of keeping her Meme informed. Then I prayed that God would, if he wanted to, give me words to teach her something about him. And God had a job for me. So when the next round of cuddles came I asked my cupcake if I could tell her something."Of course Meme" was her answer. So below, in a condensed version for a six year old, is what I shared with her.

We have all sorts of names as people. But those names do not describe us. Veronica Lake wasn't a lake, Larry Bird...there is another bird one, Charlotte Church, Alexander Graham Bell, Alan Fudge are just a few. On a side note it is very interesting to discover how many people have last names of inanimate objects! My story went on...we have no idea about a person based on their name except for one special person...Jesus!

Jesus has 100 different names and each one is a description of who he is...a quality, a character, a position. Here are a few I told my cupcake about...Creator, Almighty, Comforter, God, Healer, Good Shepherd, Holy One, King of Kings, Father, and Rabbi. Take a minute and think about these names as you would if you were sitting with a young child. In your mind think about what each of these mean. And as you think on these, as I told my granddaughter they are not just names but they also have promises within those names that will always be kept. Take the name Healer and this passage of scripture..."The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous." There is a purpose, a reason, a promise that is contained in each and every name of the Lord! That we can be assured of!

I am not sure that my little explanation made much of an impact of my sweet cupcake. My job is to take hold of those teachable moments presented to me, to plant seeds, to speak love and truth. Not sure what, if any she will take away from our little moments but maybe that isn't God's plan. As I thought more about our conversation I decided to do a little research for myself...and boy has it bore much fruit for me! If you can find a few minutes just do a little looking for yourself. I am sure you will be as blessed as I was. As for your time with your children, your grandchildren take hold of those little moments. They are moments to treasure and we are still teachable also...Blessings to you all!

"Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and  gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of all those in heaven, all those on earth and those under the earth and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father."        Philippians 2:9-11