Two days ago, Nathanael turned 8.  I just realized this morning that I never wrote a birthday post for him.  It probably doesn’t matter to anyone except me, but I felt bad for forgetting.  If no other purpose is served, taking time on my kids’ birthdays to reflect on who they are and to be reminded of how blessed I am by them is almost a necessity for this soul of mine that is all too quick to overlook the good in daily life.

So, I’m taking time now to write about my Bug.  In many ways he is constant.  He has always been slow to speak, thoughtful, helpful, rough-and-tumble, and curious about everything – and he still is all of those things.  He still loves helping with projects.  He will still tell me out of the blue that he loves me.  He still dislikes vegetables.  He is still a voracious reader.  He still has a soft heart.

But there are more things that have started standing out, too.  In our family devotional time, he is always the one who volunteers to pray, or who has a worship song he wants to sing.  He doesn’t often ask questions, but when he does, it is always after he has thought long and hard trying to understand something.  During our individual prayer time with him, he regularly (and sincerely) asks for prayer for things like diligence, wisdom and kindness.

I’m sure there’s more I could say, but this is what comes to mind most often when I think of who Nathanael is.  His genuine heart for the Lord, his genuine love for people, his earnest desire to do right are all so clear in him – and the wrestling match that goes on inside of him when his eight-year old longings conflict with them is so obvious.  I am still so aware of how careful I need to be with his sensitive heart, but I am also seeing a foundation established in him that is showing more and more as he is faced with right and wrong, and sin and weakness, and recognizing who he needs to be.

I love this boy.  So, so much.  I was caught off-guard today seeing him run around and realizing how tall and how strong he is.  Right now, it seems like these eight years went too fast.  But I am thankful for every moment of them.  I’m thankful for him.