It is amazing how simple things or little moments in life can serve as huge perspective shifts. I've had two such moments in the last couple of weeks.
1) Watching "Super Stars" basketball. A good friend from church plays on a team with other Special Olympics Athletes. There is nothing that can make your Saturday better than watching these teenagers cheer for everyone (even the other team), take turns, give their mom's high-fives, get excited about the snacks and hold their hands up after every out-of-bounds as if to say "I didn't touch it". I seriously smiled all day after this game and left thinking, "Now this is what sports are about...the fun of the game". I would love to know how to instill these same lessons in my son.
2) Last night RRL and I had a chance to spend some time with a young friend from church that spent the night with us. As we were all going to sleep in our room, he said the prayer. Although I've heard him pray before and I've heard other children pray, this time it struck me differently. I've never noticed before how much time in prayer kids spend saying "thank you" and how little time they spend saying "please". When I pray, I tend to rush obligingly through my "thank you" to get to the "please". When does this shift? When did I suddenly decide that I didn't have time or that I was too mature to thank God for each of my family members by name, thank him for the moon and stars, thank him for the fun day I had, thank him for the things I value most in life. At some point I started thinking that the way I would show God that I am thankful for the people closest to me was to list all of the things that I needed him to do for them. I don't think it is wrong to ask God to take care of the people you love, but I know He must love the prayer of a child that thanks him and then just trusts him. As I pray with KJ at night, I'll have to work hard to not rob him of that innocent trust and sincere thanksgiving.
Just some things to ponder this Saturday,
ABL
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