2014: The Year of Pizza and Noodles

On New Year’s Eve-Eve (December 30^th), I learned that Lifa does not know the English word for “throw-up”, or any other time of human body projection for that matter. It was a 2am lesson learned with all five senses and everybody’s gag reflexes fully engaged.

I’ll spare you any further details... Let’s just say it was a long night.

On New Year’s Eve, I laid that sweet, recovering boy down at 7:30pm and wondered what to do with my attitude, my perspective and my evening on my very first ever New Year’s alone.

I tried my hardest not to let thoughts sway in the direction of feeling lame or lonely.

It ended up being a just-right kind of night. I put my headphones in so I couldn’t hear crawling creature sounds, the party music from the neighboring communities and Lifa’s snores; I busted out the fancy dark chocolate; and I let my Savior set the tone and pour His Truth over me for 2014. Afterward, I reminded myself that I AM NOT LAME for flicking off the lamp at 11:53pm.

The peaceful, tone-setting, Truth-writing way 2013 ended was not exactly how the wee-hours of 2014 began.

The first screeching home alarm jarred me out of bed at 1:30am, and it was only the beginning. We had some major security issues last night. From 3:00 -5:30am, I stood guard from within the safety of my security bars while a hired security guard stood outside of my house.

Most important fact: WE’RE ALL OK!

And, in truth, I started 2014 with my TTH family around me for an unexpected gathering and a team of prayer warriors in America lifting us up.

At 6:30am, Lifa bounded onto my bed actually saying, “Mama! It’s a great day! I slept so well!” 

WHAT KIND OF SIX-YEAR OLD SAYS THAT!?! 

I whined that I was tired. 

He suggested closing my eyes next time it’s time to sleep. Good one, Lifa.

But in those morning hours I realized that the shaking of my heart and state-of-mind were very real all night long. They were also in direct opposition to the Truth of my God the fortress and His unshakable Kingdom.

In the very moments the calendar was turning, I had to choose what I would turn to.

Before I went to bed on New Year's Eve, I hung up 2014’s promise on my wall:

“Yet I am writing you a new command: its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.” 1 John 2:8

I will not give the first breath of 2014 to fear. Perfect love casts out fear.

Darkness flees as soon as Light shows up.

No thief can steal my joy. It doesn’t come from this world.

Still, I needed to do something with my heart. Even more than I need this fortress of steel bars, I need one of thanksgiving and praise. I needed to walk in the opposite spirit of what the dark night was saturated with.

We enter His courts with thanksgiving and his gates with praise.

So Lifa and I made a banner of thanksgiving for the gifts God had given us in 2013. We let colors run wild and thankfulness abound. Creativity flowed and hope rose. Even my exhaustion got washed away.

Lifa giggled and danced as we read over and hung up all the things we are thankful for. We decided to start 2014 by giving our Maker a gift since He’s given us so many good gifts.

I asked Lifa what he wanted to give to Jesus this year. First he said pizza… but then we determined that’s what he wanted this year. Finally, he decided to write Jesus a storybook.

He dictated.

I wrote.

He illustrated.

It was so sweet, so genuine, I could hardly stand it.

All the darkness of last night truly did pass as Light flowed from Lifa’s eyes as the words from his heart came to his mouth. A few times he had to stand up and dance out his emotions as he screamed, “I’M SO GOOD AT THIS! JESUS IS GOING TO LOVE IT!”

There’s a video of Lifa’s play-by-play of the book he made, but, just in case you don’t have 6 minutes to spare, here’s what he wrote.

A Story for Jesus.

For: Jesus. By: Lifa.

Jesus, I love you.

God the Father, I want to be with you.

Holy Spirit, I miss you.

I want to give you a kiss!

I want to give you a hug!

Thank you for giving me paint.

Thank you for my mom being a good mama.

I want to give you some pizza and noodles. And Sprite.

The end.

The best part was watching his joy bubble over as he illustrated. And then when we watched the video together, he followed along cheering and chattering with himself. So much genuine joy. In the most simple and sincere gift-giving.

The one who comes to steal, kill and destroy tried to steel up 2014 in a prison of fear. The One who comes so that I may have abundant life came to release the captives and set the prisoners free.

The rest of the day was filled with Spiderman slip-and-sliding and making our own (delicious) pizza and ice cream. Lifa couldn’t stop talking and dancing and shouting about how great the day was. And I couldn’t stop smiling, agreeing and thanking God for the first day of 2014. It aligned so perfectly with His promise.

“Yet I am writing you a new command: its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.” 1 John 2:8

Let His true light be seen in me this year in all circumstances. Darkness is passing. He’s already shining.

Now go have some pizza and noodles, Jesus.