She’s not a little girl anymore.
This little girl
Has been cocooned in her father’s heart these childhood years, hidden and protected while the hand of her heavenly Father has been molding and fashioning and never taking His eyes from her as she becomes the “fearfully and wonderfully made” young woman He envisioned and imagined from before her birth.
This little girl
Who’s been set apart from anyone or influence who dares to hasten her wings and sacred time with an earthly father who shows the way in her knowing, the trusting and hearing the voice of Christ more clearly; leading his little girl to abandon her heart to Him before those maiden flights finds her beyond an earthly father’s reach.
A childhood of dolls and bows are now journal entries from days of yesterday.
Tear stained pages of prayers from a father laying bare his heart on the altar for his little girl.
Petitions mirroring back God’s promises of hope and prosperity for his daughter’s future.
Tied together with a little girl’s surrendered will to God’s plans before her.
Be the wind beneath her wings which lift her soaring high as eagles.
A butterfly emerges her cocoon into this beautiful woman standing before me.
The faces of my little girl are now a gallery of framed pictures in the secret place I retreat to when I long to remember those eyes that once looked up and followed me everywhere I went.
My little girl walks past the closed door of her childhood, taking those first few steps thru an entryway as a young woman, a butterfly seeing the beauty of her life for the first time through new lens.
Her mother and I we celebrate the sweet life and sixteen years of a child and gift God loaned to us parents, recalling His charge we raise our daughter in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Today we celebrate what God had given to us sixteen years ago.
But are reminded of the giving back to God’s arms and plans the day we dedicated our little girl to the Lord.
This day our butterfly is seen for the first time dressed and crowned in all her glory; a banquet opening its doors to a place of grandeur for its guests to celebrate and behold her.
Bouquets of roses billow from the arms of a father presenting to her the love he’s expressed on many occasions prior.
A father sharing a first dance with this young woman he’s shared the evening before at daddy-daughter dances, holding back his tears of that dance yet to come on her wedding day.
Our little girl kisses good-bye her childhood of dolls and bows.
Stepping into the heels of a young woman crowned befitting her beauty.
She may not be little anymore, but forever etched in my sight is daddies little girl.
A father’s heart hasn’t changed and still overwhelmed for his little girl as when he spoke on her 13th birthday.
“What can I say! I am a proud father of two beautiful girls that I love so much.
Brooklyn, my first. What a great opportunity for me to learn what it was to be a dad and how to love unconditionally. Since the first time I met you at three years old until now, has been an amazing journey. You have been through a lot, but I am glad that I was there to help you get through those difficult times.
I want you to know that you have given me a gift that no one could ever take from me, and that was adopting you as my daughter. The crazy thing is, nothing has changed for me because you have always been my girl from the moment I met you.
I’m proud to see God working in your life, and I hope your mom and I are doing a good job showing you how to live a Christ centered life. I’m proud of who you are and most of all, I’m proud to be your dad!
I love you!
Love Daddy”
A butterfly emerges her cocoon into this beautiful woman standing before me.
Presenting for the very first time,
A woman dressed and crowned in all her glory,
Fearfully and wonderfully made,
Our daughter,
Brooklyn Nicole Alicea.
