It’s bedtime again.  The end of yet another day.  I still tuck Bethany in at night, even though she’s 13, because that’s when we ramble about the adventures of her day and what excitement and responsibilities await her the next day. Then we pray- and dream.

I lay in her bed, rubbing her back.  Sometimes, reviewing a Bible verse, or laughing about something silly that happened, or listening as she laments that she doesn’t want to go to school tomorrow. I assure her, everyone feels like that. I tell her she is tired and needs to rest.  I promise she will feel like going to school in the morning- and if she doesn’t feel like it- she’ll get up and go anyway and then she’ll be glad she did.

Almost every night, I am challenged.  Challenged to give her words of truth and hope. I will not lie to her to make her feel better.  Sometimes, I wish we could just say the bedtime prayer I was taught to pray and that it would be enough. Sometimes, I wish for simple.

If you’ve read my blog for long, you know how much Bethany wants- make that craves, dreams about, pretends, wishes, and prays for two things:

1) a baby and

2) to get married.

It borders on obsessive. She prays for a baby or a husband almost every night.  I steady my heart to balance the truth with her dreams.

Time will only tell if marriage is part of God’s plan for her future. 🙂  I hope so.  I believe there is someone for Bethany to love and be loved.

But motherhood is not. She has down syndrome.  She won’t be able to have a baby. She won’t be able to be a mother. BUT, I hasten to soften the truth, with the fact that God sees the desires of her heart.

I am 100% convinced He’ll make a way for her to be around children and nurture them.  Thank heaven, she has 0 nieces and nephews and who knows how many more on the way? 🙂

Last night, we cuddled and she prayed. “God, I just want someone. Somebody who loves me. Someone just mine. I want to get married like Moriah.”

Sigh.

Bethany’s life is full to the overflowing with people who love her. But she craves more.

Don’t we all?

The truth is, even if we find that special “someone” to share our lives with, we still yearn for more. We can be surrounded by love and yet still ache and long for completion.

[Tweet “We ache for the #love only our #Creator can lavish upon us. #GodsLove”]

We are created with an empty space I believe can only be filled by the SomeOne who made us and loves us beyond what we can dream or imagine.

[Tweet “Beyond our best #dreams, God is there, waiting to #fill us with His #love.”]

So I tell her, “I know, Bethany!  We can pray that God will bring that special someone at the right season of your life-but  you have a lot of growing up to do first.  The awesomest thing is- God is our special SomeOne who never leaves you! Ever! You have Him with you all the time and He loves you more than you can imagine! He is your special SomeOne right now and forever!”

She begins to drift off to dreamland, satisfied with my answer- at least for tonight.

But I am awake.

I’m praying that God will fill all of our emptiness and craving with His never stopping, never ending, never giving up, amazing love.

The picture above is taken from the book- The Bed Time Sh’ma http://www.ekspublishing.com/childrens-books/the-bedtime-shma

Surprising Treasures: Psalm 36:7  New International Version
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.