Cupcakes and Barbies

My oldest daughter is a bit dramatic. Who am I kidding, she’s a full-fledged drama queen. She can throw attitude with the teenagers and shoot looks that rival some of the best moms out there. She’s sassy and stubborn and she keeps me on my toes.

I’m accustomed to knock down, drag out tantrums when she doesn’t get her way and I’ve learned to turn a deaf ear to her monologues. Some days that is easier than others. Recently, it was tough.  She hit my mommy heart pretty hard and although she probably won’t remember it tomorrow, I will.

In the throes of her upset she cried, “I wish you weren’t my Mommy. I wish my real Mommy didn’t give me away”.

Insert audible breaking heart.

I know she’s six and hasn’t fully processed what she’s saying, but it still stings. This will be a battle that we have time and again over the years and I’m sure it will never get easy to hear – even when I know she doesn’t mean it.

As her sobs quieted, I hear her whimper, “I just wish I had a mommy who bought me barbies all day.” I chuckle as the issues get arranged into appropriate six-year old priorities and then full out guffaw when my oldest son says, “Well, life isn’t all cupcakes and barbies.”

Life isn’t all cupcakes and barbies.

Hilarious, yet pertinent and insightful commentary. It’s true – life isn’t all cupcakes and barbies. Sometimes we feel entitled to “cupcakes and barbies” because we’ve accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, but that’s not what is promised to us. Eternal salvation is promised. Earthly ease is not.

Like many of us Christians, my daughter (on a six-year-old level) assumes that “the happy life we want to give her through adoption” means the absence of trials, tribulations or difficulties. It’s simply not the case.

Similarly, our adoption into the family of believers as one of Christ’s children does not guarantee us a life void of pain and suffering. Satan is hard at work here on Earth and he will continue to rear his ugly head.

What adoption does mean – for her in my family and you and I in the family of believers – is that we don’t ever have to face that heartache, that trial or that pain alone.

My daughter will always have the steadfast love of the same mother she claims she no longer wants.

We will always have the steadfast love of the same Father we will each disobey.

We will always have support, grace, love and hope … we will not always have cupcakes and barbies.