A Christmas Blessing

The other day I was busy at the kitchen sink and Hannah was standing on her stool next to me eating one of her new favorite foods--a clementine. We were listening to Christmas music (of course, what else would we be listening to this time of year?) Usually it's the "Muppet's Christmas" or some version of Hannah's current obsession; "Jingle Bells." But this time we had branched out and had on a mix which included carols and hymns. As the words to "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" washed over us, I noticed Hannah pause and quit eating. She stood there quietly, head cocked in her typical concentrating pose, listening to the music and words. When the refrain "Oh, come let us adore Him . . ." filled the kitchen with it's call to worship she surprised me by folding her little hands together and bowing her head. She peeked up at me and stated:

"Prayer."
"Yes," I said. "It is a prayer."

Though Hannah, satisfied that she now understood the song went back to busily eating her clementine, I stood shocked, with tears in my eyes. Hannah is constantly reminding me of the need to pause and wonder and pray. I confess, I am not good at "praying without ceasing." I often have very ambivilant feelings about prayer. I really don't feel like I'm a good model so far to Hannah of taking time to talk to God. But somehow the little that Shawn and I have done has struck a deep chord within her because she often reminds me to pray and whenever we do she has such a smile of sweet satisfaction and contentment. Watching her take these tiny first steps into a relationship with God inspires me so deeply to grow and nuture and commit to my own relationship with our Creator and Father no matter my doubts or fears or questions. God is ACTIVE and he is LOVE and he is LIFE. Of these things I have no doubt when I stop and watch my daughter wonder at the world around her.

May you be touched by a moment of wonder this season and, pausing to adore Him, may you be filled with His true hope of peace and glory.

Merry Christmas!