A Precious Gift...

A few weeks ago my daughter was the recipient of a precious gift from a kind and generous woman at our church.

Audrey's birthday was the same weekend as the Super Bowl. We went to church to watch the game and hang out. At some point during the day one of the women at church asked Audrey if she got something she really wanted for her birthday. Audrey smiled sadly and told her, "No, Mommy says it's way too expensive and I didn't get it." A little while latter the woman came back up to me and made the most generous offer....

So a few nights latter I told Audrey I had a SUPER SPECIAL surprise for her and she had to hide her eyes for it...

You see, my daughter has been REALLY wanting an American Girl Doll for sooooo long, but dang those dolls are EXPENSIVE! I really tried at Christmas to make it work, but it just would not come together. Audrey has been very understanding, yet she still yearned for the doll.

This special woman from church had had a treasured American Girl doll growing up. She told me that the doll went EVERYWHERE with her and that she was very special to her. This woman had many special memories of her American Girl doll but as she grew older she had packed up her doll and all of her doll things and put them in storage until she had a daughter to pass it on to. After she heard about Audrey's deep desire for an American Girl Doll and knowing our family situation, this woman so kindly GAVE AUDREY HER DOLL! I was completely speechless .....

And as you can see from Audrey's face when I gave her the doll, she was so surprised and happy.

I still get tears in my eyes every time I think of it, and even as I sit here and write the story. This is a woman I know a little from church and small group, not someone I have a deep relationship with, and yet she kindly and generously gave something so close to her heart to delight my daughter. What a precious gift! It might be just a doll to many, but to me it is so much more...

After Audrey got over her initial surprise and joy I let her hold Addy and explained to her how Addy came to join our family. Audrey, although just 8, was very impressed with the story and very insightful. She said to me "This is better than a new American Girl Doll because she is already loved and I get to show her I can love her MORE! She is special just for me!" I was so happy that she got how special this gift is.

Nathaniel, the lover of all babies, was there too when Addy got introduced to our family, and he was pretty darned excited too. Since then Addy has gone many placed with us, has slept with Audrey every night and has a special place in our family.

This special doll was a very precious gift from a dear woman and my family is so blessed!

Can't you see the joy in that young lady's face???

Thank you Lord for the kindness of this dear woman and this precious gift to our family!

This gift is so much more than an expensive doll. It is about the heart of kindness, the joy of sharing and the extreme love of those God places around us. American Girl Dolls are always special, but Addy is so much more special because she has a "history" and is truely a gift.

*on a side note... you are supposed to be noticing the pure joy of the people NOT the disastrous kitchen in the back ground of the pictures!! :)