{Five Minute Friday} Beloved

Swimming in February was more than alright with Ben. This is him last week in Madeira Beach, FL.

I'm participating in Five Minute Friday, a link-up writing prompt at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog. This week the prompt is "Beloved ..." 

Five minutes starts now. GO ... 

For the past three years, the word "beloved" has made me think of my boy, Benjamin.

It's not the first word that comes to mind. Messy. Loud. Funny. Stubborn. Fearless. All boy. Those are the words that I'd first use to describe Ben. But in those messy, loud, fearless moments of jumping into the pool with no hesitation or wanting to play outside when it's barely above freezing, my faith has been changed.

My first-born girl was easy as a baby and she mostly still is a kindergartner. My boy has challenged me and forced his Daddy and me to figure out new strategies to discipline and encourage and motivate. And, truthfully, I feel like I fail at what is best for him on a regular basis. He likes to negotiate and debate, and too often I fall into his game. I raise my voice far too often because I just want to get his attention.

But in the next minute, he'll make me laugh. He's got a grin and eyes that make me forget the wrangling and persuading I did five minutes before.

When I made Ben's adoption book, I struggled to think of a name for it. Greg suggested "beloved" and then I Googled verses to find one to go with that. I found one, alright. And then I realized the same verse was at the bottom of on the blessings from our friends.

About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”

{Deuteronomy 33:12}

Yes, he's messy and loud and fearless. I'm still figuring out how to parent him, but he is beloved. By God and his momma.


STOP.

Want to join us? Here are Lisa-Jo's rules: 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 3. Please visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their comments. That is like the one rule we all really care about. For reals.

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