Happy 3rd Birthday, sweet boy. I can still remember when you were first born. You came into this world screaming at the top of your lungs. As they placed you in my arms, I remember feeling so overwhelmed when I saw this crying baby. What was I supposed to do to help you stop crying? I was clueless, but God knew we needed each other.
My beautiful first born, you are my Tenderhearted Warrior. I can't even describe how excited I am for you as I watch you grow. You are so special, and I am so honored that God chose me to be your Mama. You have so much potential that it makes my heart ache and leap with joy all at once.
You truly are a warrior.
I have never battled a human being as much as I have had to battle you. This Mama has taught over 900 children and none of them can hold a candle to you my Warrior.
As a baby, I can still remember trying to teach you the word "no." People had told me amazing stories of how their child learned the word no the first time they told their baby or within a week after teaching their baby, so I thought that the task of disciplining you would be a piece of cake. After all, I had taught children for many years and managed to keep classes with over 30 students under control, but God knew what I was up against....It took me over a month to teach you "no"....it took disciplining, distracting, and consistency to get you to stop, and even then you still tried.
As a toddler, bedtime was my favorite battle and still is....I remember battling you during naptime for an hour and sometimes up to two hours EVERYDAY for two straight months. Getting you to stay in your bed and go to sleep was like trying to teach a dog to stop breathing. Fast forward to a year and half later, I still have to discipline you for getting out of bed at least one time EVERY DAY during naptime!!! We have made progress though....
My most recent memory that gets me to laughing is teaching you to say "Yes Mam" instead of "No" to me. On this particular battle, you didn't want to say, "Yes Mam." The result was several timeouts and spankings. Finally, I got you to say "Yes Mam," but to my utter surprise the word "No" quietly followed the "Yes Mam," ....I remember looking up baffled at my husband who was trying so hard to keep from laughing. Wow...such stubbornness! :)
Sweetheart, you indeed are a Warrior. I have cried over you, prayed over you, and battled you daily....and still do....Your stubborn, strong willed spirit excites my heart. As you grow and continue to learn more about Jesus, it is my deepest prayer that you will be a Warrior for Christ. That you will not budge or give in to the ways of the world, but that you will battle against the world for the sake of Christ. I pray that you will use that strong willed spirit and stubbornness to fight for Christ, when the world seeks to destroy His name.
Yes, you indeed are a warrior, but a TENDERHEARTED one. I love your sweet tender heart, Brayden. You cannot stand to see suffering in this world, and it makes you cry if someone or something is in pain.
Whenever you read books and see someone crying or hurt, you immediately bring that picture to me, troubled. Then we work together to try to make that sad face happy....many times you will kiss that sad face hoping it will start grinning back at you.
You indeed care for the tiniest of creatures. Recently, you found a mosquito who had drowned in your pool. You gently placed the dead creature on your finger and made a sad face. "Ohhhh...." you said all sad and then proceeded to give the mosquito a kiss to make him feel better. I didn't have the heart to tell you that he was dead and told you to put him in the grass so that he could sleep and get better. You gently laid the dead creature on a single blade of grass and then resumed your playing.
Another time, you found a dead cockroach and brought him up to me to make better. I quickly grabbed him out of your hands before you could kiss him!
You care for your mother too. One day you found me crying, and you sat and cried with me and then proceeded to hug me. Your empathy and love towards me warmed my heart, and made me feel so much better.
You are always so eager to help me. If I say I am going to do laundry, dishes, carry groceries in, vacuum, mop, or cook, you look up at me with eagerness in your handsome face and say, "I help."
Sweet boy, I pray that God uses your tender heart to reach out to the broken, lost, and hurt. I pray that your empathy, compassion, and love will bring them much comfort and ultimately point them to the healer of hearts, Jesus.
I pray that you will use your Warrior spirit to defend the weak and your compassionate heart to show them Christ's love.
Yes, my sweet boy, you feel so much. When you are happy, you show it to the extremes; when you are sad, you show it to the extremes, when you are angry, you show it to the extremes; and when you love, you show it to the extremes, and when you are compassionate, you show it to the extremes. You feel so much in that big heart of yours, and I know that God will use your emotions to draw people to Him.
I am so proud of you Brayden, and I am so privileged and blessed to be your Mama. I am so glad God chose me to raise you, take care of you, and teach you about our amazing Savior. Already I see a blossoming relationship growing between you and our Creator. It excites me so!
I love you, my Tenderhearted Warrior.
Love, Mommy
