As we arrived at our ministry site, I sat down on the ledge to rest and wait. She timidly smiled at me not knowing what to do. We kept just making eye contact and sharing our smiles through our eyes.
In her hand was a little yellow flower (some would call it a weed but it was the most beautiful flower in her eyes). She reached out and handed it to Linsey who was next to me on the ledge. Quickly she turned around and searched for another flower. After finding one to her satisfaction she came up and handed it to me. For the next few minutes she just kept on shuffling back and forth from me to the field, to me to the field, as the flowers piled up in my hand I could feel our bond growing.
I could see another beautiful yellow flower out of her eyesight, so after I had a hand full of little purple flowers, I reached for her hand. I lead her over to the yellow flower, which had a friend right next to it, and she squatted down to get them both for me. The fuller my hand got the fuller my heart became.
Now we were both in the field, together. As she bent down to get the next flower she captured a little red bug in her view. Getting distracted she squatted down and picked up the little bug.
For the next hour we sat in the field and searched for these little kisses from heaven. Chatter filled the air as we hunted the ground for little ladybugs. Just sharing the bond of giggling, excitement, wonder, hope, and awe that comes with our little game.
I would find them and pick them up. Joy would spread across her face as I handed this little ladybug to her. We would both watch and giggle as it would travel around her hand and up her arm trying to escape into her sleeve. Every time the ladybug would decide when it was time to go and would fly off, it would open up the opportunity for the search to continue.
Sometimes in the transfer between hands the ladybug would drop to the ground again and giggling we would search the grass for it. We moved around the field slowly finding new places where the little red dots were. Staying there as long as there were ladybugs in sight.
Emma.
My three year old best friend.
As I sat in the field I knew the Lord was working in my heart. He was whispering to me sweet little somethings about how He was here.
He was in Emma.
Teaching me to enjoy the little things
Continuing to communicate despite being understood
Seeing joy in the little things.
He was in the ladybugs.
Teaching me to continually seek Him out
Revealing Himself in His time
Letting me hold onto Him for a moment and then having to seek Him again
After we had been working for a while, Sarah came and told me I had a visitor. I knew it was Emma coming back after her lunch and nap. As I was walking up the incline her mother had to hold her back from running and tumbling down to meet me. Her urgency and joy were bubbling over from her little body. Her hands were filled with another bouquet of flowers. This time tiny daisies of white and pink filled her hands.
As I reached the top her mom let go of her and she ran to hand me the bouquet. She stepped back as I admired them and said my thanks. I opened my arms wide and in she ran. Fully embracing the moment. Reunited with her friend, fully experiencing love, basking in the joy.
Her mother told me that she refused to take a nap because all she could talk about was getting back to see her friend. She wanted to go bug hunting with her friend again.
Again the Lord whispered to me,
What if you would seek me with this much expectancy?
What if you couldn’t contain your excitement until the next time you got to sit with me?
Come to me like this.
I will satisfy you.
As I stood up the first thing out of her mouth was “Kalinka?” (meaning ladybugs). So I said I would take a short break from working to go searching again. Hand and hand, we headed off to sit with each other and search for the little kisses from heaven. As we headed to the field my heart was full of expectancy for the joy for the search to continue.
Sometimes the best moments in life happen when we just stop and live in them.
Find your ladybug moments with the Lord everyday!
