We named her well

I think just about every day I learn something new from my kids. God has definitely used them time and time again to show me more about Him and more truth about myself. I wasn't home for one of the most recent and best examples but just hearing the story from my husband was immediately convicting. Our girls are only 18 months apart and that is a recipe for best friends AND worst enemies. Recently our oldest, Reagan was caught being quite mean to Elliott, her younger sister. Her punishment was to go to bed early while Elliott and Dad watched a TV show together and she was extremely unhappy. After listening to her cry for a while while trying to enjoy her time with her dad, Elliott began to beg him to give Reagan mercy and let her get up to watch a show with them. (When I say beg I mean she was almost in tears trying to convince him.) In his confusion he asked her how she could be so nice when this whole thing was because her sister had been so mean to her. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and said in her sweet little voice full of compassion,

"But Dad, Dad - it is just how she is and I love her. It's ok, Dad."

When Todd told me this story I teared up picturing my sweet little one displaying such complete and undeserved grace to her sister. She loves without condition and recognizes people are not perfect and accepts them as they are. Wow. What a picture of Jesus she is for me! How often am I glad when people who have done me wrong get punished? How often do I expect others to change before I will fully love them or show compassion towards them?

Her middle name is "Grace" - I think we named her well.