A nana's prayer...

I pulled into the pre-school parking lot fifteen minutes early.

I didn't want to be late picking up my granddaughter.

It was my first time doing so, and I could just imagine me coming late, 

and her forlorn and frightened waiting for me.

I parked the car near the cyclone fence.

I could see little ones playing on the playground, and sure enough, 

there she was in her navy blue winter coat and her new winter hat that her mama crocheted for her.

At first I only had eyes for her, her long blond braid with the white satin ribbon on the end, 

flying out behind her as she ran around the playground.

But, then I noticed that's all she seemed to be doing, 

running around the playground from this toy to that.

Occasionally she would run up to a little girl or boy and point to this thing or that, 

but she didn't seem to be playing with anyone in particular.

Meanwhile, three little girls were huddled together on the tire swing the whole time I sat in the car watching.

I instantly felt the mama bear instinct, and my little grand cub was being left out.

I wanted to run to her defense.

Later that afternoon, her mama came to my house to pick her up.

I heard her asking my granddaughter how preschool was.

My ears perked up when she said a little girl's name and told her mama that the girl had said she didn't want to be her friend anymore.

These children are four years old, and it's begun already, 

the "we're in and you're out game" that girls/women play.

I felt my blood boiling.

My daughter, in her wisdom, asked if she had said why she didn't want to be my granddaughter's friend.

"She says I play funny." she responded.

It seems that my sweet little, blond, blue-eyed granddaughter likes to play a bit rambunctiously and has been participating with the little boys in a made up game called "dragon puppies".

Apparently, some of the other little girls are a bit more reserved in their playground games then our little spitfire.

She's not the snuggly type, unless it's right after nap time, then she wants to be held until she's fully awake.

Also, she'll just blurt out, "I love you, Nana" for no particular reason at the most random of times.

She has her own peculiar way of reasoning.

One day her mama found some scribbling on the bathroom wall.

When asked about it, she told her mama it was a sign for her younger sister that said,

"DO NOT WRITE ON THE WALLS"!

Once, when taken to the store and told she could pick out a surprise,

she excitedly picked out a stalk of brussel sprouts.

That girl loves her some sprouts!

Last summer she "decided to follow Jesus".

That's just how she expressed her decision, and was very vocal about it to all of us.

She's usually pretty shy about talking about things she feels deeply, but this, this she proclaimed quite boldly.

She likes twirly dresses and tap shoes and the Seattle Seahawks football team, because that's her daddy's favorite.

She loves to swing high and ride her bike fast.

And apparently, she's a whizz at playing dragon puppies.

Now who wouldn't want that kind of a girl for a friend?

I pray that she never gives in to the pressure to change herself in order to fit in.

I pray that she embraces every quirky, unique thing about herself.

I pray that she lets God alone be the one to mold and shape her,

not other people.

I pray she grows strong and courageous in the light of God's approval, 

and doesn't strive after or seek the approval of man.

I pray that her heart is ever tender to God,

while her hide is ever tough to this world's rejection.

I pray that she grows up to be every incredible thing that God created her to be.

I pray that she will be surrounded and loved by people who let her be herself.

I pray that she would follow Jesus every step of the way through her life on this earth

and that others would want to follow Him because of her.

And I pray that the she would never participate in the "we're in, you're out" game that girls/women play...that this game would forever be abandoned by all of us.

I've heard there's a new and better game in town,

I believe it's called dragon puppies.

still following,

Be sure to click on the photo below to see how to enter my giveaway 

of this beautiful Ghanaian Market basket! 

 There's only a few more days to enter...winner will be announced Sunday, Dec. 15th!