I've got this learnt talent.
Something to do with the teaching of chickadees so often.
I've learnt to block things out.
You know the relentless Miss Emily, Miss Emily, Miss Emily - it eventually just get's beyond annoying.
Sometimes i feel a little like the pied piper, often with a trail of kid's following close behind -offering helpful hands, showing off little masterpieces, asking permission to use the bathroom/wash hands/ breathe.
It's not that i don't offer enough encouragement and support - in fact perhaps it's because at times I've tried to spread myself too thin. There's usually a lavish supply of willing and able helpers- they just aren't Miss Emily you see.
Today we sat down, we settled, we were in a semi-settled/ semi-distracted state, discussing things that needed prayer. Are these the same Kid's that i had to baby step through prayer less than two years ago !?
Healing, thanks, praise and needs- no prayer area was missed. In fact i was thinking I'd best try to hurry along to the praying part so the planned lesson wasn't wasted. It was at this point where in my heart i was amazed at the difference this past year had made in our little prayer allocated time. These kid's were no longer just trying to tell me whatever stories of what had happened the past week, or what they ate for breakfast. They got it. They asked, offered thanks, praised, believed for healing. But my head was telling me to press forward, we needed to get things done, the younger ones were probably getting bored- my leaders probably unimpressed by what seemed like babble out of these babes mouths. Those scraped knees, birthday parties, friends with asthma- they are real and BIG in their world.
"Okay" i said "let's pray, eyes -" i was interrupted by a young boy, who is known for speaking up at inconvenient times, "you didn't hear what i wanted to pray about". I was on a mission, we were going to pray- NOW. "How about you tell me later, and we can pray about it later" His eyes pleaded with me, the sincerity and determination in his voice unwavering "it's a thank-you prayer, i want to pray about it now".
MY mind and my head did some serious somersault wrestling. "how about later?", "it needs to be now" my head caved, my heart won over- "okay, what is it?".
"I want to pray to say thank you for my Mum, Shes been given a baby in her tummy- my family has been praying for a long long time, so we need to say thank you".
What an incredible thing to be thankful for - the gift of life. What a faithful and committed family. What a beautifully blessed child, had my ears been shut, closing out all those fiddly things that keeps me from my schedule- i would've missed out on the greater blessing.
Sometimes when our heads are set on one goal, we miss out on the greater blessing that the holy spirit has set aside [in the little nudges] for our lives. IN the midst of chaos, as the BIG stops from seeking joy in the little, are your ears open to the greater blessing from seemingly little things; are they placed in the too hard, too busy, too stressed, too much, too annoying, too distracting box!?
Let your children speak the holy spirit into your hearts, let coffee catchup be an opportunity of impact, let trips to office works be an opportunity to bless the lady who's struggling with the photocopier.
This Kid get's it, he gets it because his parents recognised the power of prayer, he gets it because (after heart/head debate) his Sunday school teacher gave him the opportunity to share his thanks. He can Rise up and call his mother blessed and in doing so bless others.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.” [Proverbs 31: 25-18]
