Bryan's Prayer

I want to remember Bryan's prayer with Mya tonight as he was putting her to bed.  "God, I thank you for this little girl who sees the things that I don't see: the caterpillars, (with whom she will squat down and remain next to, in front of our house, so that no one harms them, while she marvels at their 'cuteness'), the way she'll run to get a pair of scissors because she thinks she can cut down a whole bush outside, (because it has flowers on it 'for Mommy'), ...."

This prayer, which I heard while standing outside Mya's room changing Morgan's diaper, put a big smile on my face as I resonated with my own thankfulness for the things that Mya sees that I don't see.  Right now, I'm looking at a tupperware bowlful of rocks that she collected outside tonight and brought inside, setting them on our book shelf.  We can't go outside without her collecting sticks, flowers, bugs, all things at which she marvels and finds too interesting to leave outside.  Recently, we made a caterpillar our pet.  We made a bed of leaves for him and set him on the deck in case he needed to crawl away.  The next morning, Mya ran to check on him, fully expecting him to be gone.  He was still there in the exact same position as the day before.  Mya comes to get me to go look at him saying, 'I think he's sleeping in.'  It wasn't until he hadn't moved in 2 days that she realized the poor dear had gone to caterpillar heaven.

Everyday, Mya and I have conversations like this: 'Mommy, how many legs does an insect have?'  "An insect has six legs, Mya." 'An insect has six legs?' "Yes." 'What do they eat?' "They eat leaves, usually." 'They eat leaves?' "Why can't we bring them inside?" 'Because they'll die.' "They'll die?  Why?" 'Because they need the things that are only found outside, to live.' "They need the things that are only found outside to live?"

Why can't she just say 'Oh' when I answer her questions?  Because she's learning!  Her repeating is her way of locking what I'm telling her in her brain. She trusts me and my answers to her questions.  What I say is truth to her!  Such responsibility have I and such trust has she.

This is our Mya.  Oh, how I pray we do not squelch her little spirit as we harness her energy and love of life.  Its hard being a parent and I confess I do not always look at Mya with eyes of love and adoration.  Sometimes, I really wish she would stop asking questions and collecting things and just sit still.  But oh, how I pray that I regularly encourage her to love this precious life that God has given to her, and to us.