My daughter moved back in with me a couple of years ago. The first year and a half were really tough. We were both on edge about our careers and had several verbal exchanges which left me in tears. I kept praying about it because I had allowed her to move back in due to a Bible verse I had run across which said you should not hide from your relatives when they need help.

I must admit there were several times I shoved that Bible verse back into God’s face and told him he needed to do something in my daughter’s heart. I had done what His word has said for me to do so it was about time He did something about her attitude. I waited for a change and I waited some more. Last year the change started occurring. I learned that to talk to my daughter in the morning was not a very smart idea. She learned that she didn’t need to bite my head off every time I asked her a question.

The other night I was already in bed when she came home and she walked in my room and started me giggling with her antics. That night, as on several other nights, she left the stairway light on as she made her way to her bedroom. I had told her before not to do that and had impressed upon her that my income did not provide for unnecessary use of electricity.

She had told me she wouldn’t do it again and now, here she was doing it again. I was a bit perturbed. I considered yelling up at her to have her come and turn it off but then a thought crossed my mind. “If something ever happened to that dear sweet child of mine, I would pay a million bucks just to have her leave that light on again.”

So I didn’t yell at her or correct her. I just got up with a smile on my face and thought, “At least I know she is home because she always leaves a light on when she is home.” Then I turned the light off and went to bed thanking God for my daughter, who leaves a light on in my home and who can touch my heart with the light of her love.