National Daughters Day

It’s National Daughters Day, and I am so incredibly blessed that God allowed me to have and raise two wonderful daughters. I am so extremely proud of both of them. ❤️

They are very different in personality, yet in so many of the ways that matter, they are so much alike.

They stand up for what they believe in. They are fiercely loyal. And you’re going to be pretty hard-pressed to change their minds once they’ve decided something matters. 😂

But one of the things I love most about both of them is the way they love children.

They love God’s children in a very special way.

And don’t let that love fool you. It is fueled by a determination to see them grow.

They truly take the time to see children for who they are. They don’t expect them to be someone else. They encourage them to be exactly who God created them to be while helping them learn how to navigate their emotions, understand themselves, and become better people.

I’ve seen this firsthand with children at church.

On the ballfield.

As they help parents navigate life.

I’ve seen it on a dirt field at Street Reach during Bible Club.

In the middle of a green field.

In a laundromat at activity club.

I’ve watched them try to help children whose personalities sometimes make things difficult as they learn to manage their emotions.

They don’t just expect children to behave. They try to understand them.

They get to know them first and learn how they need to communicate at their level.

They are by no means perfect. And sometimes that stubborn determination to defend, help and advocate can come across as not so positive or even kind. 😬

I would say they probably get some of that from me, so I’m not going to decide whether that’s good or bad. 🤷🏼‍♀️

But sometimes I do believe it is necessary.

Every child needs love, but sometimes a child also needs boundaries. Sometimes they need someone who is willing to tell them the truth, challenge them, and help them see that they are capable of more.

And I have seen my girls do that while still loving children right where they are.

I’ve also seen their loyalty to their friends.

I’ve watched them walk through seasons of incredible loss.

I won’t even begin to count or list all of those experiences, but I know they have shaped and molded them into the women they are today.

And I know the love they have for those people and those friends will continue to drive them to see people, meet people and love people right where they are.

And then there is Abby.

The daughter God gave me through marriage.

I never expected that we would be given so much through her life.

I remember the first time she spent time with our family thinking, “Oh my goodness, if she can hang with us, we are so going to be blessed.” 😂

She was quiet.

Just a quiet-natured girl who was pretty much the extreme opposite of the rest of us Grosses.

And over the years, I have watched her and realized that quiet doesn’t mean she can’t hang.

She isn’t quite so quiet anymore, and honestly, that kind of melts my heart. 😂

She still has that sweet, calm spirit, but I think she probably had another side to her that I just hadn’t seen yet. Some of that probably came from her dad, because that certainly wasn’t a trait I saw in her from the beginning. 😉

She was exactly what our family needed.

The girls adore her.

And she has brought us tons of joy.

I would have never expected just how much God would give our family through her life.

She is definitely special to us.

She has actually been a part of more memories than I can even count. We will sit around and talk about memories from years ago, and Abby was there.

She has been in our life for 10 years now.

And honestly, it is hard to remember a time when she wasn’t.

She has become woven into our family story.

If you’ve read my blog about Abby, you know some of this. And even if you haven’t, if you know me, I pray that you know this girl is loved and valued.

I can’t talk about Abby without mentioning her Pat and Mark, because so much of who she is reflects the people who raised her. Their personalities, their values, their love and who they are truly shine through her.

I am thankful for them, too.

So Daughter’s Day is special to me.

It’s special because of the daughters God gave me through birth.

And it’s special because of the daughter He gave me through marriage.

Three daughters.

Three very different people.

Three women I am incredibly proud of.

Three women I love more than words could ever adequately explain.

I didn’t get to choose who they would become.

God did.

My job has simply been to love them, pray for them, guide them, sometimes challenge them, and remind them again and again that they were created on purpose by a God who knows them completely.

And what a privilege it has been to watch them become who He created them to be.

Happy Daughter’s Day to my girls.

I am proud of you.

I love you.

And I thank God for the gift of each one of you. ❤️

Let’s do this again, soon! ⬇️😊