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Written by Scott Waddell
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"Let's pray before we get started!" Upon hearing those words from
my nine year old daughter, I was reminded that persistence does,
indeed, pay off.
For my daughter, who is in fourth grade, and her sixth-grade sister, it
has been a daily ritual for all of their school years. On days in
which I taxi the two of them to school, we have always prayed together
at some point in our journey from home to school. Most often, the
prayer comes during the last leg of our trip, just as we make the final
turn to our intended destination. Oftentimes, it comes as an
afterthought and is not always "heartfelt" in the truest sense.
The girls alternate praying. The youngest takes all even-numbered
days by virtue of her birthday being on the 14th. The oldest, on
the other hand, takes the odd. After all, her birthday is on the
13th. This seemed, to them, to be the most diplomatic way to
split the prayer duties.
Over the years, the prayer has been repeated until both girls recite it
without even thinking about it. "Dear God, thank you for this
day, thank you for this beautiful (sunshine, rain). Thank you for
Mommy, Daddy, Sissy, Hallie and Belle (our springer spaniel).
And, Dear God, help us to have a good day. We love you Lord,
AMEN." I have grown to love this time each morning but often
wondered whether it truly was doing much "good" to memorize and recite
the same prayer, day after day.
Earlier this week, as we climbed into the truck for our daily trek, we
were faced with ice-covered trees, slick streets and power outages
across town. That school was even in session was quite amazing to
me and I complained loudly about it. As I shifted into gear, my
youngest daughter spoke the words........"Let's pray before we get
started!"
I could only smile broadly, inside and out, as I agreed with her that
it was a great idea. So, we sat in the driveway. She prayed
the usual, with the words sounding sweeter than I had ever
remembered. Then, she prayed for a safe trip to school.
I was reminded that we so often take for granted the times we have with
our kids. What had become to me a questionable morning ritual
had, in all respects, meant something to my daughter. Through her
4 1/2 years of riding with Dad, praying with Dad, she had come to
realize the importance of asking God for help BEFORE the storms
hit. Likewise, I was gently reminded that I, too, often wait
until I am in the midst of a storm before asking God for deliverance.
Children are our most precious gift. We must, as fathers, take
every advantage of the opportunities to teach them and to be taught by
them.
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