I am convinced that inside of every woman, there is a little girl. Sometimes if you look very closely, past the tired eyes and wrinkled lines, you can see her. She often escapes in the form of a high-pitched squeal or a sparkle in the eye. She loves to be delighted in and hates to disappoint. She crumbles from heartbreak when her sweet little hopes are dashed.
I married a man that brings out the little girl in me. He allows me to escape being a grown-up ever so often. With his unconditional delight, he encourages a part of my heart that is still childlike.
Sometimes I can tell when he has seen her. It may be after I get an ice-cream cone or buy a pretty new dress. But when I look up at his smiling face, I can tell… he just witnessed the little girl escape from somewhere deep inside.
'Little Shenae' comes to the surface when my childhood friends surround me: when we talk about memories, visit a familiar restaurant or just saturate ourselves in girly, fanciful fun. She hasn’t been scarred by disappointment or hurt. She skips and sings. She’s the little girl hidden inside of an aging captor – the older me.
Yes, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:11, that we should put childhood behind us as we grow and mature in our walk with God. But there are some ‘childish things,’ that should never be put away. Matthew 18:3 reminds us that unless we have faith like children we will never see the Kingdom of Heaven.
I know you’ve had to be strong and brave to survive. But that little girl inside of you is just as brave. She just isn't cynical or broken by what you have been through.
So my prayer for you and I, my friends, is simply this:
Lord, let the little girls in us never be put away. Let them have child-like faith that is undamaged by the things we’ve seen. Take us back to those moments of unbridled trust that only an innocent can know. Wash away the brave, strong demeanors that are the invulnerable product of grief and hurt. Return the pitter-patter to our hearts – the sparkle of hope. And let that little girl in us stay very much alive and resilient.
For our bodies may age, but we must fight to ensure that our souls never do…
Love,
Shenae Andrus