Dear Anna and Katie...

Sometimes I just have to stop whatever I am doing, and write down some of the things that my silly girls say. Just a moment ago I was in the kitchen making Noelle, yet another Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich. Jolie, who had previously declared that she absolutley did not want a PBJ sat down and asked for her sandwich. She said, "I want one, jus like Noweelll." Of course. So I prodded her. There is a sweet and scary life lesson here. Here is how the conversation went.
"Jolie, do you want everything that Noelle wants...?"
"Yes, Mom" said Jolie bear.
"Jolie do you want to be just like Noelle?" "Yes, Mom, I love her." said sweet Jolie bear.
Noelle was sitting at the table with her. I knew she was listening, usually she is just talking in her head if she is chewing... but I could tell she was paying attention...
"Noelle, was does it mean for Jolie to be just like you?"
Noelle quickly replied, "It means you want to be someone you are not" (Which, I think she means that you admire them)
"So, who do you want to be like Noelle?"
Noelle did not skip a beat... "Anna Fires"
Anna, is a teenager at our church who has loved Noelle since the first day she met her. She has the same kind of sparkle in her personality that Noelle does. She is a giving, happy, outgoing, fun girl. She is also very generous and compassionate. I have always thought of how sweet our church is, and the group of teens and tween girls at our church are phenomenal. They all serve and give, especially to the younger kids. It is the true bud of Titus 2 ministry. That is another blog.
So as soon as Noelle said this about Anna, Jolie immediately said, "I love Katie, Mom. I want to be like Katie."
Now Katie is Anna's best friend and has been a faithful loving friend to my girls. She gets that from her mom. Katie is a quiet leader who has wisdom and patience in her eyes. She is one of those people who is always there, always helps, and seems happy to serve. I would love for my daughters to grow up and be like these girls. I am so glad that they have picked them as their examples. I think it is amazing that a five year old and a three year old could have role models, but they clearly do. We have been having conversations in our home about Katie and Anna (and Ali) for years. When Noelle was two she used to put her ponytail holders on her ankles to be like Katie, because Katie wore an ankle bracelet. Katie also wears small braids in her hair, and of course my girls do too. The list goes on and on. I have always thought it was sweet and such a blessing, but then it is a little scary. Here is the rest of the conversattion.

Noelle, "Mommy, your girls are in love." "
Really Noelle?, What does that mean, to be in love?"
Noelle, "It means you want to be just like them. It means you want to do what they do"

How scary for me as a parent. My children have role models outside of me and Chad, and their family. My kids look up to these girls. How powerful a role these girls have in my daughters lives. My children are growing up faster than I can keep up with. Soon, peers will be just as important in shaping their views as we are. Soon we will be crowded out by the world. My girls love these two girls. They don't know it but they admire these girls because they are girls who love Jesus. They are girls whose parents have taught them truth and the gospel. I hope that as I teach my girls about the Lord, that they will be drawn to other people like these two girls. I know the truth, the world and its temptations are sometimes so loud Christ may seem like a faint whisper against the clanging of the cymbals of the world... I pray that my girls will hear the whisper of Christ and seek Him out. In light of this conversation I am writing a little note to these two role models. Here goes...

Dear Anna and Katie,
Thank you for loving my girls and being such great examples to them. Thank you for accepting them so much that they feel connected to you so far as to want to be like you. I pray for you, and hope that when you have hard choices to make, you will remember that your choices go so much father than yourself and your family. They extend even to mine, and to the eyes and hearts of my daughters. I know this world is hard place and you are faced with great challenges. If you ever do fall or face temptation, please come home to Christ. That is the example that I hope you leave for my girls. You are loved by two little girls and their mom.