A China Plate for Lizard

When my children were small and I would look into the future and imagine them as pre-teens and teens, you may have noticed me shudder a little. I've never been particularly comfortable interacting with young people that age, even when I was that age myself! So it has been a surprising joy to find myself embracing and cherishing this time as my older two children (and their friends) begin the process of leaving behind their childhood days.

Much of that process for our son Historian, about to be 13, has been championed by my excellent husband, while my oldest girl, Lizard, who is about to be 11, is sweetly and joyfully transitioning into a young lady, with much parental prayer and gentle (most of the time) guidance from me.

In recent weeks, she and I have been going to the Starbucks at Target once a week, to enjoy a warm drink (or a very cold Icee) and perhaps a sweet treat while we complete a mother-daughter devotional. Each week, the book, Growing Little Women for Younger Girls, invited us to dig into scripture together, gleaning God's will for a growing girl's life; share stories and secrets; and pray together. Our weekly devotionals also included suggestions for fun and memorable mother-daughter activities. Once we bought an inexpensive mirror for Lizard to decorate (with lizards of course) and wrote the words "Reflection of Jesus" on it to remind her that Christ's love in her heart is always more important (and beautiful) than outward appearance. Another time, we planned and served a backwards dinner (dessert first) to show that when you are a true Jesus-follower, you may seem "backwards" to the world.

Upon completion of the book, I promised Lizard that we would have a very special celebration, just the two of us. The idea for this event came from another book I read about six months ago, Gentle Passages: Guiding Your Daughter Into Womanhood. I first heard about this book and the china plate event from a friend who writes one of my favorite blogs. You can read about the special day she shared with her daughter here.

In Robin Jones Gunn's book, she tells a story about giving a young neighbor friend a china plate as an illustration of II Timothy 2:20-21. Inspired by her (and my friend's) story and the accompanying scripture, I chose a local herb farm and tea house as our destination and began planning.

Lavender Fields Farm, in Glen Allen, VA, provided a truly tranquil setting on a lovely October Saturday. Unbeknownst to Lizard, who adores surprises, I signed the two of us up for a wreath-making class.

Our wreaths, which should last up to six weeks, if frequently watered, are made out of all fresh cuttings.

Lizard, who has a naturally artistic eye, made a beautiful wreath.

After our class, we walked over to the farm's tea house where lunch was waiting for us. Due to the type of business license the farm has, they are required to serve meals in disposable containers. For our purpose, I'd pre-arranged to have a setting from Lizard's china, that I'd secretly brought with us, laid at her place.

Steady Man and I bought the china a few months ago, from a Craig's List posting, in anticipation of this day. It is amazing how beautiful china sets, often barely used, can be inexpensively purchased from private listings and thrift shops. We were fortunate to find a ten-piece setting in Lizard's favorite color. It is called Haviland, Blue Garland. It is important to note, however, that buying an entire china set, is not at all necessary to replicate an event like this. It just takes a single exquisite china plate.

After Lizard recovered from the shock of being told that this delicate china was hers to have forever, I explained to her that she is like a piece of fine china, set apart not only to shine but also to serve. We laughed and agreed that neither of us wanted be like the disposable paper plate, stained with food, on which my lunch had been served. We talked about many more things on this theme and Lizard's eyes twinkled as she considered her value and her purpose as a young woman pursuing God.

Later, after we'd cleaned up, we read the message written with indelible ink on the back of her plate: My dearest "Lizard," You are a treasure. Always shine for and serve the One who created you. II Timothy 2:20-21. Love, Mom

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. II Timothy 2:20-21 (New Living Translation)