We came home from church one Sunday in December, with two excited little girls. Both had received gifts from their primary teachers. One got a Santa Claus pez dispenser. The other opened hers to find a small nativity. She was thrilled. I told her that she needed to be careful with it. That it was glass, and it would break if she dropped it. I told her that she needed to find somewhere safe to put it. Somewhere that her little brothers couldn't get it.
A little while later she came running into the kitchen and announced, "I put it in front of the TV. Then I said a prayer that the boys wouldn't get it and break it, so it will be safe." And went merrily on her way. As I watched her walk away, I was impressed by her faith. I was also a bit worried about the safety of the Nativity. I figured that maybe if I pushed it back far enough, that the boys wouldn't be able to reach it.
As so often happens, life's concerns got in the way and I forgot all about it. Until the day I put the Christmas decorations away. I picked up the Nativity from the spot where she put it. A spot where another Nativity set had lived, but only until it was scattered to the four corners of the house by two mischievous little boys. Her Nativity hadn't been touched.
I stood there looking at it for a few minutes and I realized that my 5 year old daughter has greater faith than I do. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how close this little girl was to her Heavenly Father. I remembered her telling me that she had prayed that her friends would stop being mean to her. And they did. I remembered her telling me that she had prayed that her tummy would stop hurting. And it did. And when she prayed that her two little brothers, who are known for breaking the unbreakable, wouldn't break her present, her prayer was answered.
This little girl taught me more in those few minutes than I think I have ever taught her.
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Rachel Sue is a stay at home mom who loves to read, eat, blog and snuggle with her 4 little kiddos as often as they will let her. Read more about her burdens and her blessings at Trapped Between a Scream and a Hug.
