Anna and I at her 2nd birthday party!
Later this month Anna turns 4. It almost seems like she’s turning 14 the way she prances about the house! I just love those moments of connecting with her and Peter…Anna is a fun lively super-hero little girl who loves life and Peter is getting more brave trying to walk around using toys to brace himself! With Anna, I love just connecting with her when she’s not watching a cartoon or movie or looking at a video on the phone. I cherish these moments, these precious moments, when we connect. It’s Anna, believe it or not, that taught me this…just for me to be her daddy…“
Daddy, I’m so happy you are home.” Without a doubt, these are the happiest words I love to hear from Anna. If I’ve been at church, out doing visits or most recently been away with our youth group in Houston, Anna will whisper and shout those simple words in my ears when I finally arrive back home. The words tug at my heartstrings.
At Anna’s 2nd birthday party I did what most fathers do…I surprised Anna (and Amy) by renting an “Elmo” costume and showing up to the party as Anna’s favorite character at that time. I tried to mimic the voice to Elmo as close as possible! Anna was mesmerized and just followed me around…she loved it! Since it was so hot in the costume I would run in the house and take it off for a while to cool down! And then return to Anna and the party as her favorite character in costume! Amy brought out a special cupcake for Anna with a candle on it and said to Anna: Go ahead Anna and wish for anything you want…anything at all. Make the wish and blow out the candle. As folks were enjoying cupcakes and other dessert treats, I remember Anna running up to me and saying: I wished that Elmo could come home and play with me and you, Daddy! My heart melted on Anna’s 2nd birthday- with all my imperfections, my daughter wanted to be with me, and hang out with Elmo.
Anna taught me that day and continues to do so as we near her 4
th birthday. Anna reminded me that our deepest desire is simply to be loved and spend time with those we love. Why then are there so many days when we become confused and think that we deeply desire something else? We wish for more money or a better car. We long for a bigger house or a better paying job. We wish for a great big boat, summer cottage or a fancy new motorcycle. We fool ourselves into thinking that these things will bring us peace and happiness. Yet what we end up discovering is something that even a two year old child know to be true- that real peace is simply spending time with those we love- being with another who loves us
as we are. And this is the key- to love others as they are- even if they are throwing tantrums or screaming NO to coming and eating dinner! The great Fred Rogers once said:
Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like ‘struggle.’ To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now. 
If you look closely you can see me through the Elmo face mask! Just don’t tell Anna!
Every day we have the choice to throw ourselves into a thousand activities and distractions, play and work, travels and preparations, or we can find the time to simply BE with those we love as they are right now. We have the choice to lose ourselves in all stuff that we accumulate and all the things that we can buy, or we can begin to see that our real wealth is found in those we love – and love them as they are right now. We have the choice to get caught up with the details of life and the busy-ness of life, or we can center on our deepest desire – to love others as they are right now! Loving means being fully present to others wherever they are in their development, even if they are teenagers and needing space. We need to be open to the moments, the little moments of connecting. It means cherishing and remembering and embracing those grace-filled moments. Loving means desiring the right things, and longing for the enduring things, and wishing for the eternal things. When I pray with someone on their death bed, not one person has ever said they wish they would have more time with all their stuff, work, phones, sports…it ALWAYS is about having more time with their loved ones.
The next time I’m overwhelmed by the details of life, or exasperated with work as pastor, or frustrated with two young children seemingly getting sick all the time or rarely ever sleeping through the entire night at the same time, I hope I recall Anna’s sweet young voice whispering in my ear: Daddy, I’m so happy you are home! My deepest desire is to be with those I love and to try and love them as they are right now. In doing that I will find more moments to cherish and so many more memories to embrace. And who knows? Maybe that little girl will always be inside of Anna through the tween and teen years and beyond. I’d like to at least think that.
Beautifully said!!!