Kevin Mattison (dot) Com

Dear Elise Abigail,

By the time you read this you’ve turned 13. But just yesterday (1.15.10) your mom and I found out were a girl.

As your little body is developing inside your mom I wanted to write you a letter, even though your a little to young to read. I wanted to write to you in hopes that by the time you read this I will be the man, the father, and the pastor I am about to describe. This letter is also my small attempt to describe the kind of woman we believe God created you to be.

Names mean a lot, they tell us who we are and who we are supposed to be. Your name is no different. We knew your name long before you were born. Your name Elise literally means “set apart for God”. Your middle name Abigail means “my Father’s joy”. Before you were born we had a daughter who has never born. During that time we discovered the name Elise. We choose the name Elise because we believe that God has something amazing in store for your life. We believe you are set apart for God so that you can do, create, and dream up things that have never been done before. You are a world-changer. We believe that you are set apart because we believe God didn’t create you to fit in. And in our world you will have to fight to be different…to live set apart.

Elise. Set apart.

When I fell in love with your mom it wasn’t simply because of her beauty, I fell in love with her because of her love and her joy. Joy and love came easy to her. My hope for you is that someday when you meet a boy who tells you he loves you he will speak of your love and your joy (any boy who only sees your beauty isn’t worth it). My hope, another words, is that you would become like your mom. That you would be full of love and joy as she is. It is your love and joy that will set you apart.

I’ve been given a lot of advice over the past few months as we’ve told people we are having you. I ignore most of it. Not because I know better, but because I have my own idea. It’s based on some promises I am making to you. I promise…

• To hug you as much as I can.
• To cuddle with you.
• To tell you I love you everyday.
• To love you mom in such a way that you see what love is like.
• To love God in such a way that you love to love him.
• To praise you in private and in public.
• To tell you stories.
• To tell your stories.
• To smile at you, even when your not looking.
• To forgive you…and try my best to forget.
• To trust you.
• To protect you.
• To fight for you.
• To let you try it on your own.
• To let you fall…and then pick you up
• To kiss your ‘boo boo’.
• To cry…to show you my emotions.
• To push you to be the best you can be.
• To fail and so you how to fail well.
• To leave work early to hang out with you.
• To take you on dates.
• To pray for you.
• To live in such a way that you are encouraged to dream and create.
• To challenge you.
• To always read the Bible, when and where you can see me.
• To listen.
• To talk…about girly things too.
• To believe in you.

I can’t wait to be your father. But it is your middle name that holds this all together. Abigail. My Father’s joy. No matter how much joy I find in you, no matter how excited I am by what you do or create, your Father in Heaven is full of joy every moment of your life. Your life makes God smile. May it always.

Elise. I invite you to be filled with passion. Most parents are scared of passion…because it sounds like emotions and hormones. But I hope and pray that you become a woman of passion. In fact, you have permission to be passionate. To create. To dream. To love. Because it is your passion, your creativity, your dreams, your love, your joy, and all that you are that makes you…you.

May you always be fully you.

May you be full of joy and love.

I love you.

Your Dad.