Disney is one of those places that is super overwhelming to me.  The crowds. The noise. The lines.  The 5 children each wanting to do something different and exhausted from no nap, but not wanting to nap, but still wanting to do all. the. things… overwhelming. The one thing February has going for it is that it was not 500 degrees.  Not a fan of sweating either.  I’m more of a fall/winter girl.  Saying all that, you are probably thinking “geez, you scrooge,  you hate Disney.”  Actually, no not at all.  Despite all of those factors, I actually really do love that we have been able to take the kiddos there a couple of times.  I’m sure we will go back again.  The one thing I love, the thing that makes it all worth it, is watching my children’s faces.  Very specifically at the  nighttime parade and fireworks.  My only request for our whole trip was that I wanted all 7 of us to go to watch the fireworks and parade together.  Just once.  For me, it’s not about seeing any of those things.  It’s about watching them as they take in the moment.

As we were headed frantically back to Disney after a crazy long dinner, my youngest was losing her mind.  Complete exhaustion meltdown.  My husband kept saying “I’ll just take her back to the room.” I kept saying “no, once we get there, she’ll be fine.”  You know what, I was right.  The second she saw the fireworks, her eyes lit up.  Everything else disappeared.  The tears, the screaming… all gone.  Once the parade started, they were mesmerized.  Each looking for their favorite princesses.  The characters are amazing at making each child feel seen.  As my 4 year old stood up when Cinderella’s float went by, she curtsied showing her their “matching dresses”. Cinderella said “ooh, I love your dress” and my little girls face just lit up.  When kids are in that moment, reality ceases to exist.  It’s pure magic.  I get to watch my almost 12 year old forget for a moment that she is “too big” for princesses.  When she doesn’t realize that anyone is watching, she is grinning and waving at them as well. I can see that light in her eyes and I know she feels the magical moment as well.  Every other frustration, emotion, just gone.  Kids are awesome like that.  As I’m sitting there, I feel God nudging me.  Yes, in the middle of Disney World and yes, in the middle of a parade.

Jesus mentioned on more than one occasion of coming to the kingdom “like children”.  He loved kids.  He told the disciples not to keep the children from him.  When I think about what he means when he says to approach him as “children”, this is the scene I picture.  Please don’t think I’m being sacrilegious.  No, I don’t think his throne is a Disney parade.  But what I DO think is that kids have this amazing ability to just stop everything and focus on that one thing.  When I come before the Lord, my mind is typically spinning in a million different directions.  I think he was telling me “see how they just are in awe? That’s how I want you to come to me.  Forget that 30 minutes ago you lost your cool and yelled at your kiddo.  I can forgive that.  Forget your massive “to do” list.  I am more important than that.  Forget those notifications that keep popping up on your phone as you try to spend a few moments with me.  They can wait.  I’m here to breathe life into you.  Just sit in awe before me.”  Children don’t have this issue.  When they are in a moment, they are IN the moment.  Us adults have to work at it a bit.  My prayer is that He will help me do this.  That with His help, I will just sit before Him in awe.  That I’ll forget all the other things fighting to be “most important” in my brain and put the rightful One on his throne there.  Just like Cinderella “saw” my sweet girl, He sees me.  The King ready to spend time with his daughter, his princess… there is no more magical moment than that…