I’ll Never Forget The Day I Saw A Father Mock His Daughter

It’s a gorgeous day in Texas and naturally, my babies were playing outside. Today my little Romeo, 3-year-old of a son brings me this “flower” and says, “Be careful with this flower Mama… it has a weed on it. Be very careful with it…. and enjoy! Enjoy your flower!” 

While I was silently melting on the inside, I was reminded of something as he said those words.

Doesn’t it just remind you of how God is with us and our own children?

He gives us these beautiful flowers to cherish and raise, and though they are imperfect and covered with a few weeds of their own… we are to be careful with them. To nurture them, make sure they don’t wilt and break under the many frustrating moments we face as parents. 

I’m learning more every day just how delicate my little “flowers” are that God has blessed me with and that I’m to care for them with the tenderest of hearts. How many times have we crushed their little spirits with a harsh tone or yelling out of anger?

That’s what reminded me of something that happened just about a year ago. 

Dallas was recovering from an ice storm (doesn’t happen that often but can once or twice a winter) and there were still slick patches of ice on the roads and parking lots. 

I  was leaving TJ Maxx and saw a sweet little girl, around 7 years old, fall hard on the ice hitting her bottom and back.

Her father was walking ahead of her with another child or two and turned around when she fell. She, of course, was screaming and crying in pain and I was walking towards her from across the parking lot, wanting to console her. 

I’ll never forget what her father did… (or rather, DIDN’T do.) 

He turned around and screamed at her, “Get up! Shut up that crying!” *mocked her, making fake sob noises* “Wah, wah, wah.” 

“Get up!”, he said again. “You’re fine!”

My heart broke for that sweet little girl as she looked toward me, still on the ground, with tears in her eyes… ashamed, feeling unloved and betrayed by her own daddy, I’m sure. 

I asked her if she was ok and she nodded “no.” I said “I’m so sorry sweetie! I’m so sorry you got hurt!” 

My heart broke for this angel. 

I was reminded of her today and how she must have felt that her own father wasn’t there to cherish his flower. She wilted that day. 

Maybe her father was overwhelmed. Maybe he was having a bad day and took it out on his baby girl. Perhaps he wasn’t shown love and affection as a child and therefore did not know how to give it. I don’t know why he hurt his baby girl that day in the way that he did, but it crushed me. 

My prayer is this: Lord, help me remember that our babies are little flowers and we are their gardeners. Help me to remember that we all have little weeds on us, yet you gently pluck them off and love us anyway. Let me take care of my little flowers the way you love and take care of me. Even when I’m fed up… even when I’m losing my patience, and even when my babies are being the craziest kids they can be that day. Let me see them as the delicate flowers they are and not crush their spirits. Help me to discipline in a way that glorifies you and always points them to Christ. Let me love and enjoy them the way you do. 

Amen.