Two tiny bruises

When we changed Charlotte's diaper yesterday, we noticed two tiny bruises on her left knee.

She often has little scratches on her face and has already sported quite a few bumps on her soft baby noggin.

We are quickly realizing that injuries come with the baby-raising territory, especially once the baby becomes mobile. Charlotte is crawling and standing and "walking" with help nowadays, and she is regularly falling over or running into something. 

I can't believe how much my heart breaks when she looks at me and cries those crocodile tears of pain. It's awful to witness, even as I hug and cuddle and whisper comforting words into her little ears. "You are going to be fine. I love you so much. I'm proud of you. You are working hard and sometimes hard workers get hurt. You are a strong, brave girl. Jesus loves you. I love you so much." 

Even more burdensome than those sad, salty tears is the wave of anguish that covers me as I think about the future... How much worse the pain will be when she falls off a swing or gets hit with a ball or breaks a bone. How she will ache when losing a friend or being bullied at school or moving away from her neighborhood. How I won't be able to protect her from loss or grief or fear. How many times I won't even be able to comfort her as she cries. The pain of that reality slays me.

The Hope for her future, though, is the reality of Jesus. I can do my absolute best to keep her safe and snuggle her close and nurture her heart and raise her well. But then I've got to surrender and rest in the knowledge of the Hope I have been given. She is loved by Someone more loving, knowing, and powerful than I. Thanks be to God.