The Maker of Heaven and Earth

I hosted a bridal shower for my baby yesterday. I don't know if it is good etiquette to do that or not. Some internet sites say the mom of the bride shouldn't do that.  I didn't really care. She is my only girl. I love her, and it was my offering. Two good friends asked me my vision for the party, and then helped me realize it. (Carol and Melissa...there are no words that can express how grateful I am for your love and kindness.)

I spent two weeks decorating and constructing out of my heart overflowing with memories. The cupcake stand is made with duct tape, a favorite construction item of my Asherel. The bride on top is made of duct tape as well. Next to the stand, is Pinty. She is the stuffed horse that shared most of Asherel's childhood. She went along with us on thousands of adventures. I wanted my child to know all the possibilities the world had to offer, and showed her...and Pinty as much as I could.

Pinty is wearing the dress Asherel wore when she came home from the hospital. It was one of the happiest days of my life. I could not stop staring at her beautiful, perfect face.

The Bridal Shower was a lot of fun. I wanted to celebrate what I believed to be the core essence of Asherel. Strangely, it is the core essence of me: a creative spirit. So I balked at the tried and true Bridal shower games. I decided to do games that allowed the guests to enter our world.

The first game was to design a bridal gown on a duct tape doll I made...and the gown was to be constructed of duct tape. Here are some of the designs:

The second game was to design a bridal veil, purse, garter belt, something blue, and corsage from common household objects. The final result was breathtaking:

My goal was accomplished. A roomful of people united to celebrate a daughter I love and the creativity that sparked so much of my life with her. It was the best I had to offer.

That...and the God I love.

I started our gathering by reading my favorite psalm out loud. I read it to the daughter God granted me to raise, to nurture, to show the wonder of His creative magnificence. I am hardly the perfect parent, but I am a parent that loves God, and desires more than anything on earth that all my children will love Him too.

If that is my legacy, that is all I desire.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.