Happy Birthday - 5 Years Old!

Today is Cici's 5th Birthday! We celebrated with a pool party with preschool friends, Happy meals, and of course cake & ice cream. As you may remember from my "Faith & Mustard Seeds" post, Cici was a long waited for and prayed for child. Her arrival was definitely the answer to many prayers.

However, Cici has never been an easy child. First she was a very late talker. While most children have 3 words by 12 months, Cici had none by 18 months. After speech therapy, she finally began speaking at 22 months. It was so hard to understand anything she said.

Cici's terrible twos, were TERRIBLE. She was the most stubborn child ever. Many days I was left frustrated. She is very strong willed. It seemed like everything was a battle of the wills with her, and some days her will was stronger than mine was.

When she turned four, I finally started to see her stubbornness (perseverance) in a positive light. She is a kid who will keep trying until she gets it, whether trying to ride a 2 wheeler or learning to swim. The child who couldn't talk, now never stops talking, singing, dancing and performing. She is full of life and truly the most joyful child I've ever seen. She always has everyone laughing.

Being Cici's mom has taught me perseverance as well. But more than that, it has taught me about hope. Whether that hope was for the blessing of my child, for my child to talk, or some days just the hope that I would get through the day with my sanity intact, I seemed to always been hoping in something.

Cici taught me about hope. But the greatest hope I have is in Christ Jesus. He is the one who gave me Cici, and the one who fills me with hope.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

***

To read more about The Power of Hope, read part 3 of my 4 part Power series at ithirst. Click here to visit ithirstnw.net.