Eight-year-old Eliza

On this day, eight years ago, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Eliza Grace was born. She made me a mama. Her Daddy looked at her and proclaimed her to be “Eliza.” He named her well.

Here are the top ten things of her year 7, as told by her mom:

1) You like science. We joined a co-op this year and the science class is Botany, which is right up your alley. Not only do you enjoy learning about it, you’re great at reiterating what you’ve learned and replicating the projects that you’ve done in class. You’re a good teacher.

2) Hand in hand with your love of science is your continued love of nature and the outdoors, in general. You love to be outside in every season. Exploring, investigating, collecting, observing. Your attention span is endless in the outdoors.

3) Reading and being read to are greatly enjoyed by you. Right now we’re in the Chronicles of Narnia and every night you beg for one more chapter and often read a page or two ahead on your own, until I send you to bed. It’s a blessing to watch you enjoy reading.

4) You really love to sew. You get to sew in the “homeschool room” at church and have come home with some nice creations. You’d like a sewing machine very much, but for the time being have made use of your Nana’s on occasion.

5) Creativity abounds daily with you. This has been the theme since you were very little. You consume paper and art supplies like they were going out of style. Thankfully Mr. Jamison gave us that big box full of blank paper last year. Blank paper is your favorite.

6) You love to give gifts and are thoughtful in your giving. Most of your creativity is employed in the making of gifts and cards for other people. I have been abundantly blessed with your creations and artwork. You try to make the gifts meaningful for the recipient.

7) Any time you can help cook or prepare food is a happy time for you. Your older friend, Mary Jane was kind enough to give you a cooking lesson and make a cookbook for you. Cooking taps into your creative side and you love anything hands-on and messy.

8) You played soccer this summer. I dare say that soccer may not be your “thing.” But you enjoyed it nonetheless and your team ending up winning the whole shebang. I hope you hang in there and go for it again this summer. Swimming is more of a favorite for you.

9) Dance. Oh my, dance. You’ve started dance this past fall and just love it. And boy do you go for it. I’m impressed how you learn the routines quickly and your poise and confidence (nothing like your mom)!

10) You’re in choir and taking piano still. It’s a blast to watch you grow in these areas. I love watching my kids enjoy music, especially when they’re using it to praise the Lord. And you do praise Him, which makes my heart squeeze so tight it hurts, because I am so unspeakably thankful for it.

Eliza, somehow, somewhere along the line you’ve become God’s girl. It’s there in your desires and in your heart and it is a miracle. I want you to know, if you read this someday when you’re older, that it is truly the work of God and nothing else. He saves people, Eliza, by His finished work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. He’s given you the faith to know it and love it. Thank you, God, for Jesus, and for the Spirit, which blows life into dead hearts. Keep her Lord, consecrated forever to you.

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