She is a Cruciform Princess

Happy Friday Wonderful Friends,

I’m a little under the weather today, but I was able to eek this out in five minutes for my favorite community over at Lisa-Jo Baker FMF. Today’s prompt was “she”.

We write for five minutes on Friday without over thinking, over-editing, overwhelming ourselves with negative self-talk.  We write because words breath life into our souls when we let them pour out authentically from our hearts.  It’s easy to join us:

GO

Today was Peace Day at the Haggerty School. Trinity’s teacher asked the students to draw or write on the morning message board what peace feels like to them. Trinity looked up at me with searching eyes as if she could discern from my face what Jesus is doing in her little heart as her Prince of Peace. “What do you think of when we talk about peace at home?” I asked. She gave a little shrug, grabbed a red marker, and wrote, “Shalom.” Then she smiled at me as if we shared a special secret and ran to tell her teacher all about shalom, peace, wholeness.

She’s always doing things like this—amazing me with her very own relationship with Jesus. She’s my Diva With a Heart of Gold. She cares about the homeless and the lonely.  She remembers to pray for people in need.

She cleans her brothers’ stinky rooms and makes them toast on Saturday mornings.

At bedtime, she rubs my cheek and calls me Mom-cess.  When I kiss her forehead after I nestle her into her Princess Tiana comforter, I call her Trin-cess.  This ritual is more than sweet nothings uttered between mother and daughter, this is a naming rite designed to remind each other of our true identity. We are princesses—cruciform, Cross-shaped daughters of the King.

These are the times motherhood comes alive for me—when I see my children “get” it.  When they open their eyes to Jesus’ love and let it transform them—I’m amazed. 

STOP

Today’s FMF inspired me to start a conversation on this blog… how can I be more mindful in raising children that reflect the sacrificial, life-bringing love that Jesus modeled on the cross? How did the concept of Jesus bringing shalom, wholeness, harmony to this broken world on the cross work its way into my seven year old’s heart?  What does cruciform parenting, wifey-ing, living look like?  Join me next week when I begin this conversation on cruciformity with a post called, “Becoming and Raising a Cruciform Princess”.

Shalom and Much Love,