I Love You God, Amen!!!

Joshua and I have been trying to help Jovey learn to pray her whole life, praying out loud with her different times during the day, but especially at bedtime. We have been praying "call and response" prayers with her since she could communicate using words, evn though she still couldn't formulate the words or even know what they meant on her own, until tonight!

Tonight, as I rocked with Jovey and sang the old stand-bys, "God is So Good" and "Everybody ought to know who Jesus Is," I told her it was time to talk to God. I started my usual call, "Dear God," and she responded by rote. Then, we got to the first section of our prayers, thanksgiving. I started with "Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Jovey," to which she responded, "and my Yellow school bus (yes, still quite an obsession as this blog progresses, especially since her favorite friend, Parker, has lent his to her for a while)." Taken aback, I took a different turn from my caller role and asked her what else she wanted to thank God for to which she replied, "for my Parker, my Lillie, my Nicole, and my Trebis (really Trevis, but hey, she's only 23 months old!)" We continued the prayer as usual, with Jovey finishing with her most animated phrase, "I wuv wu God, AAAAMMEENN!" She closed her nightly routine by saying, "I wanna go to Gigi's (what she calls herself, to my bewilderment) bed, momma, you sit?" I then placed her in her crib and stood outside her bedroom door until she settled.

Is it true? Is she starting to grasp the concepts of thankfulness, knowing that there is so much to love about who God is and what He has given us, even at this young age? OK, Maybe not totally, but what an awesome beginning! Wow, I know that it may have been a one time deal of lifting what she loves up in prayer without being prompted, but oh, what a sweet look right into the face of God and who he creates us to be: thankful, loving creatures that desire to recognize and acknowledge with sincere innocence and gratitude all of the blessings in our lives. . .even yellow school buses!

Thanks for all the gentle reminders, through the beautiful eyes of my daughter, that You are so awesome, that You are so in control of everything and that you are so good to me! I love You God, AAAAMMEEENNN!!!