1-2-3 Jump!

Aria has this new 'game' she loves to play.  She climbs onto the bottom stair of her slide in her outdoor playhouse and jumps into my arms.  She just laughs and laughs and laughs, then says 'more please' and does it again.  She has no fear and complete trust in me as she flops off into my arms.  It really isn't that daring; the step is only a few inches off the ground where I am sitting.  But it is the total trust that gets me.  Right now, in Aria's world, I am the object of her total trust.  I am there to get her out of her crib in the morning.  I pour milk in her cup, feed her breakfast, and change her diaper.  I read books with her, play with toys, and help her get dressed.  I am there to give her hugs when she gets hurt, hold her hand to go down the stairs, and rescue her from bad dreams in the middle of the night.  Aria knows that she can depend on her mommy all the time to provide everything she needs.

But that's just the thing.  I can't.  I can't provide everything she needs.  Sure, I can do all the things I listed above, but at some point I will fail.  I will let her down.  It probably won't be filling sippy cups or changing diapers (although she has leaked through when I've forgot to change her for a longer period of time), making breakfast or giving hugs.  But at some point, I will let my daughter down.  It won't be a proud day when she realizes mommy isn't perfect, but it will come nonetheless.

And that is why I am doing my best to teach Aria about God.  God will never let her down.  All things are possible with Him.  We have this "baby Bible", which I really love because it has suggestions for ways Aria can interact with the story.  The stories are majorly simplified versions of all the common Sunday School stories (sometimes I think they are too simplified), but she loves doing the actions it suggests with the stories.  At the end of each story, it has a prayer that relates to the story.  Aria can say and understand parts of the prayers.  What I really like is that each prayer shows her how God provides for her and cares for her and loves her so much.  It (hopefully) instills in her that God will NEVER let her down.  Even though I love how much she trusts me now, as she grows older and begins to understand who God is, I hope she transfers her trust from me to Him.