Children's Prayers

The prayers of children are so simple, so sincere, so heartwarming, and sometimes (in our minds) so naive. When my younger son was just a little guy, this was his nightly prayer, "Dear Jesus, please help all the sick people to get well, help all the well people not to get sick, and keep me safe when I do dangerous things. Amen" That was it. It covered everything he considered important. And God answered.

I remember the day I looked out at the park that adjoined our yard. There was my little, skinny five-year-old being helpful as usual. As playmates watched and waited from below, he balanced fifteen above the ground on the cross bars of the swing. Slowly and steadily he unwound the swing seats that the high-schoolers had put up there the night before. How he had shimmied up the supports to the top I have no idea, but he had done it. He was now in the midst of doing a dangerous thing. As he unwound the chains one loop-de-loop at a time, I held my breath. I also bit my tongue to keep from screaming at him, then closed my eyes and thanked God for answering my little boy's prayers about safety.

I remember the day I again looked out at that very park to see what he was up to only to discover he wasn't there. Neither was his tricycle. Off I ran like a... Well, really fast. That was back in the days I could run really fast. So off I ran toward the river only two blocks away. And that is exactly where I found him doing exactly what you have probably guessed. He was doing dangerous things. His trike was parked on the shoulder of the street and he was over the embankment, standing inches from the water, doing what every little boy would do, throw rocks. I must add that this was not just any water. This was the river during springtime run off. It was moving fast, and it was running cold. I recall grabbing him by the arm, dragging him up that bank while paddling his little behind, plopping him down on his wheels, marching behind him all the way home and thanking God for answering my little boy's prayers about safety.

To be honest, I think God is still honoring my little boy's prayers about safety.

Then there is my daughter. Her prayers were different. There was the time I had to tell her we couldn't buy her what she wanted because we didn't have the $10 it cost. So that evening she prayed thus, "Dear God, please give my mommy and my daddy $10 because they don't have any money. Amen."

"Oh, the naivety of a child" I thought. Keeping my mouth shut was next to impossible, but I did. Thankfully I didn't explain to her that God doesn't go around giving people money. I would have made a liar out of myself because minutes later I got a phone call from a lady who had moved away the previous year without paying me some money she owed. I had forgotten all about it, and yes, it was $10. God had answered my little girl's prayers and shown me he does give people money. I was the naive one, not my child.

I'm thankful the Spirit continually reminds of these experiences with my children. It is in these times I am once again reminded that God still answers prayers--children's prayers, moms' and dads' prayers, grandparents' prayers, your prayers and my prayers. I know deep down inside that He answers. The answer may not be what I want or when I want it, but the answer is always what God wants, when he wants it.

Take my foot for example. I would love nothing better than to take the bandage off my foot tonight as I get ready to change the dressing, and find it perfectly healed. Can God do that? Of course he can. Will he chose to do so? I don't know. But each day it is better that it was the day before. So in that sense, he is healing it day by day, moment by moment.  I thank him for that--for answering my prayer.

Have a God evening everyone. I plan to.

Dear Jesus, please help all the sick people to get well, help all the well people not to get sick, and keep us safe when I do dangerous things. Amen

Jan.