this proclamation begins our every mealtime and bedtimes. simple enough for the boys to remember, yet profound enough to remind all who hear just how awesome our god is.
god is good.
his love endures forever.
he sent his only son to die for me.
he is with us, in sorrow and in joy.
he is merciful and gracious far beyond what we deserve.
god is great.
he is mighty to save.
he is our creator, and our deliverer.
victorious over the powers of darkness.
in his hand is the life of every creature, and the breath of all mankind.
i love praying with my family, for these truths are worthy of speaking aloud time and again throughout our days. these words are just beginning to take on the gravity of their meaning in the lives of my children, but we have long ways to go. after maxer and bear begin their prayers, they then start praising jesus for his blessings by thanking him for all he has given.
in order to keep the boys focused on the task at hand, brad devised a little method of grabbing their attention. when brad mentions the child's name for which he is praising god, he would jostle his hand, startling him into paying attention. this became a game, the boys anticipating daddy thanking jesus for him by name and reacting boisterously when brad did just that. the boys soon incorporated this ritual during their prayers. brad and i responded with delighted cheers when bear or max would thank jesus for us. this has become a cherished time together.
when we happen to have others join us for a meal, the prayers are much the same much to the surprise of our guests. when max or wes says thank you jesus for GRANDMA and jerks her arm her frightened and confused response is genuine and the whole table attempts to withhold their laughter at the cuteness.
last evening, bear seemed to run out of things for which to be thankful. he began having long pauses and umm's between his utterances. finally, he would squint, sneaking a peek around the table looking for suggestions. the result was a lengthy prayer thanking jesus for butter, sticky, pop, hot, and all gone.
our laughter and adoration was surely echoed in heaven after that sweet prayer. thank you jesus for the beauty of children.
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