Dear Elizabeth,
Right now you are 7. You are in 2nd grade and blossoming. You are really good at math and a rule follower. Your teachers adore you EVERY year. You started gymnastics a few months ago and are obsessed... working on skills whenever you have the chance. You are proving to be one of the mellowest Conrads, but with a fierce passion and strong will despite your pleasant nature. You feel deep and tears come quickly. You don't want to do wrong, be wrong, or get corrected and your heart is soft.
All of these things are items that I've noticed in the last year as you have grown and matured. However, there is something else recently that I decided is worth a letter to you. This is my first letter, by the way. I tend to start and stop on my blog so maybe this will be the first and only, but I would like to think that this will be the first of hundreds that I write to you kids as you age. Anyway, what I noticed lately and something that I have prayed for, but wasn't sure had been answered in my favor, is to have a child (preferably multiple children) with a servant's heart. I would love to cultivate hearts that want to give back and want to serve.
Elizabeth, you have a servant's heart. Today, I was getting ready for Thanksgiving and the house was a mess from breakfast and a morning of playing, and the typical chaos was reigning. I decided to quick clean up before we left and nobody wanted to help. Honestly, I didn't even ask. I just decided to quick clean as much as I could. You walked in shortly after I had started and I cut you off "Elizabeth, I'm cleaning and if you are down here, I am going to give you a job," I said curtly. You happily replied, "I will help clean. What can I do?" You didn't pick the things you liked to do best, you wanted to know what needed to get done. You picked up toys and took them to the livingroom. You cleared the counter. You vacuumed the kitchen. You wanted to switch the laundry and was annoyed that it wasn't ready to be changed. You really seem to love laundry. You helped in any way I needed and you know what? We got the kitchen and dining room cleaned in time.
Every time I am cooking, you want to help. When there is a task to complete, you complete it with a happy heart. Even your own jobs: homework is done to completion without me asking. You are always dressed and ready in the morning. Elizabeth, I am so thankful for you. For your gentle, pleasant, giving heart. Your ability to get joy from helping others.
Sure, your siblings annoy you and when you see someone doing something wrong, you are quick to correct them yourself. You can be quick to anger and strong with your tone and those frequent tears aren't easy to handle as a mom. You are human, but I feel so much admiration and gratefulness when I watch you and see your little servant's heart growing. You are truly becoming a beautiful girl inside and out. I am enjoying watching you grow. Thank you for how intentional you are in life. Thank you for helping, especially when nobody else wants to help.
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