My Ceiling, Their Floor

There is such joy in seeing prayers answered. Even if it is not the way I think they should be...even more so when it is not the way I thought would be perfect. I love the moment of awe when I realize that God has answered a prayer and it is way beyond what I could think or even imagine. To see his answer encompass so many more hearts than I would have included, to see the answer heal so many more than I knew were hurting, and to see joy on so many more faces than I even know.

I have prayed the prayer "Lord, please let my ceiling be their floor" for my three beautiful daughters.

Even though I would love to go into great detail on how God has already began to answer that prayer... I won't. It is enough for a blog to say that my daughters have already moved way beyond my ceiling.

The reality is that our children begin where we leave off.
Oh...not that I am done, by any stretch of the imagination.
No, I am still strengthening my ceiling...I am still adding supports.
Beams on how to grow old gracefully, how to have a fun-filled, love-infused marriage, how to be a wonderful Ducky (grandmother), how to be a mom to adult children, how to be a woman of faith...and the beams keep going up.
I know that I have added beams to my ceiling that are creaky and maybe a little weak...and there are even a few that never got added but maybe should have been.
But that it how it works, I build the best ceiling I know how and with God's love and support they can see the holes and weak places and step over them.
And,
when it is their turn to build their ceilings, they can add and take away beams that will strengthen their babies floors.
Doesn't it make sense, as a parent, to give our children the strongest, cleanest, prettiest floor you can?
Maybe you have to give up something, or wait to do something, or change the way you do something or not have as much...but I promise...it is soo worth it when you see God answering your prayers for your children.
When you see them building their own beautiful, strong ceilings and its so beyond what you could have hoped for or imagined.
Then, those things you thought you couldn't do without, or that "thing" you just knew you had to do, or whatever it was you had to put to the side for a little while is forgotten because your babies are amazing adults with strong floors to begin their lives on.
And,
all of the sudden you look around and realize with a giggle...you can do that "thing" or have that "stuff" or go to that place...while adding to the ceiling the beams of "emptynest happiness" because you loved, provided and protected your marriage and your babies, and all is good.