Cinderella?

When the world presses you hard down, and the laundry spills its guts out of the closet.

When you're on the north side of Cinderella and your life is ashes and soot.

When you want to sit right down and cry, but snap the little one into tears instead.

When you make her grow up now because you've got bills to pay and approval to earn.

When you can't sit beside and help, tucking that escaped lock back behind her delicate ear.

When you can't kiss her freckles because something is rotting away in the refrigerator and...

Something is rotten right down in your soul.

When you can't even get your feet on the floor in the morning with out this sense of dread

 At the impossibility of getting all your checks marked off on that do or die list.

When you want to be a good steward of your time, but it just swirls this giant whirlpool of plans and...

That flushing sound you hear in your head when you look at the clock and see that it's nye time to make supper, but you've taken nothing out of the freezer.

When the clock doesn't tic toc but rather flings it's hands around, this mad time machine.

When you've fallen into panic, and you're feeling like a lousy friend.

When your words read hollow,  your heart full of pain.

When you wonder...always wonder....

Why in the world do we carry on so???

Why does my time with Jesus in the morning seem a vapor already by noon?

Why won't my conscience hush?

And..

Lord, are You here in all the mess of me?



The little one digs down deep and comes up smiling.

Her assignment is finished, and she is proud that she was able to turn it around.

I look up from paying bills down, and my heart flies to my throat because...

I see God in her...

And I see Grace in her...

And when you're lying there on your back, you can see a big wide sky now can't you?



A little girl happy at home.

A college girl and her hair a wavy waterfall tumbling down pale cheeks.

The way it frames eyes the color of a cloudy day.

The Shoulders bent over chemistry homework with her.

That dinner is actually set to go, and we can all look forward to a healthy meal to nourish us along.

Hearts that bump hard against each other even so.

The prayers that go up for all these children.

Joshua calling home.

Calling me "Mama."

An unexpected bouquet of flowers smiling at me.

Her voice on a Sunday afternoon.

Laughing hard and...

Saying you're sorry.

Repentance bringing Heaven to our Home.

The Shoulders and his tender words to my heart.

Doing the hard things now.

Turning my face toward them because...

Cin-der-el-la is not yel-la.

She's made some mistakes and kissed some snakes.

But she leans hard into Jesus.

The Rescuing Prince of Peace Who crushed the Serpent's head.

Just.  For.  Her.


Bernadette