Napkin Notes

My daughter takes her lunch to school most days and from the day she started kindergarten I have been writing her a short note on her napkin. These notes are short messages of my love, encouragement for her day, and a reminder to find some fun and adventure in her day. Every once in a while I will even include a silly face or cartoonish drawing just to spice it up a bit. She looks forward to these notes, and one year all the kids at her table also looked forward to seeing what her note said that day.

As she got older and learned to write better, notes started appearing on napkins in my lunch. Short, sweet reminders of her love for me, that I am the best mom in the world, wishes for a good day. And they always seem to show up on days that I need them most. I got one on Tuesday telling me “I love U very much. xoxoxo.”  Only the “ I” was drawn as an actual eye and the “love” was a heart.

It was timely because the day before I had been trying to survive a nasty headache. It made me grumpy, short tempered, and generally not fun to be around. And after my not so great mommy day of the day before, she shows me grace and love in her napkin note to me.

This week our church lit the third Advent candle, for us it was Love. CJ's and my napkin notes to each other are really love notes. And my contemplative focused spirit got to thinking, what would an Advent napkin note from God look like? I like to think that each one of our napkin notes would be just a bit different; specially written to each one of us. This is what I imagine my napkin note from God to be to me this Advent season.

                    Dear Precious Child,

                    I love the intentionality that you enter into Advent with. Your careful preparation of your

                    spirit and the guiding preparation of your family bring me joy. Please remember, these

                    spiritual times do not have to be complicated or perfect. I just want you to spend time

                    with me. I want you to find the Peace, Hope, Love, and Joy of the advent season as

                    simply as you can. And if in the mist of your life caring for my children, creation and 

                    those that I have entrusted to your care a day here or there gets missed, please don’t feel

                    guilty, just try again tomorrow. I know you are doing your best.

                                                                                                I love you, ALWAYS.

                                                                                                            God

What does your napkin note from God say to you?