A glorious fall day is upon us. Magenta-orange fading sunlight splinters the crisp early evening air. A Braveheart Boy named Noah beams with delight as he tells his daddy all about his day. Braveheart and I are on our way to the store to purchase some flowers. As we enter the floral section I ask Noah, “Which bouquet of flowers would you like to buy for your teacher’s birthday?”

Noah looks at the bounty of beauty before him and picks up some lilies, smelling them briefly before setting them back in their container. He then spots a bouquet of daisies. His angelic eyes close as he breathes in their glory. The boy turns toward me and extends the bouquet upward to share his experience. The sincerity of his heart matches the handsomeness of his face as he says, “Oh Daddy, these flowers smell like Jesus.”

This is Braveheart Boy—beautiful, genuine, fierce, passionate, and original. I stand amazed at this blessing of a boy before me. My eyes shine as my lips trace a gentle smile. I laugh softly while draping my arms onto Braveheart’s chest, subtly affirming his heart-sense for discovering the presence of Jesus in the beauty around him. I reply, “Oh Buddy, you bring me so much joy. I don’t believe I’ve ever thought about what Jesus smells like. Tell me more about what He smells like.”

“He smells like love and blood and flowers, Daddy.” This is Braveheart Boy—a boy who authored this book for his daddy to record; a boy with a heart full of desire joyfully exercised within God’s design.