The windows were open and from where Emma was sitting she
could see the giant walnut tree in the backyard. So that evening as she started
praying, Emma she took particular delight in thanking God for just about
everything—and I do mean everything…
“Thank you Jesus for today and for my family. Thank you for
the pretty kitchen curtains and for the bird sitting in the tree outside, the
cups on the table, and thank you for…”
At that point Olivia interrupted to inform us that Emma didn’t
have her eyes closed—that she wouldn’t be able to see a bird outside if she
did.
Emma defensively said she really was thankful for the
curtains and the bird and all the other things she’d been praying about. And
that, I said was a very good thing.
The next thing I did was to remind the rest of our children
that praying is about a lot more than just closing your eyes and saying the ‘right
thing’. Instead, I wanted them to learn from their baby sister.
I wanted them to embrace the familiarity and openness Emma
felt when she prayed. I wanted them to see prayer as a way to talk with God rather than something they
recite to God.
Over the years we prayed many prayers of thanks for baby
lambs and good grades. We prayed for lost and dying pets, horrible school bus
drivers, cross-country meets, less-than-stellar school teachers, and even good
weather for trick-or-treating. And you know what? God heard and answered every single
prayer with all the love and concern that makes him God.
The lesson in all of this? To allow and encourage your
children to make their relationship with God personal…genuine…and one in which
they know that everything that matters to them matters to him—kitchen curtains
and birds sitting in a tree included.
Love,
Momma D
