I have been slowly digesting Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts, dog-earing almost every page along the way. Her journey is so real as she digs into this thing called “eucharisteo” or “giving thanks”. It has inspired me to sink down on my knees every day and choose…choose…to see God’s gifts all around me, so that I can rejoice…rejoice…in the presence of God. I may be beaten down by self-doubt, torn apart by frustration, smacked around by high expectations, but I can always…always…fight for joy, fight to see God’s gifts.
Some of God’s gifts seem inconsequential. Moments, quickly passing, quickly forgotten. Others are important enough to shout from the rooftop…HEAR ME, FOR I AM GIFT…
A few weeks ago, I was putting Parker and Madi to bed, and the questions began. Parker is constantly asking about heaven…”What will we do there?”…”Will we have houses?”…”Will my whole family be there?”…”Why do we have to go there?”…he has asked them so often that I find myself giving the safe, cop-out answers, but tonight was different. I could hear the news faintly in the distance, spewing images and updates of a man out for revenge. A car chase down the highway by our house, a hostage situation one mile from our street, a shoot-out one block from Ben’s office, and all of a sudden, the urgency of eternity became real to me.
I realized that I had never asked Parker if he wanted to become a child of God, so I kneeled down by Parker’s bed, looked into his wide eyes, and asked him if he wanted to pray and ask Jesus to come in, clean his heart, and become his friend. He nodded his head very quietly, and we prayed together a simple prayer while silent tears fell down my cheeks. I know his little journey to becoming friends with God is just beginning, but I can’t help being thankful for starting him down the path of a “boring testimony”. It was a gift I won’t soon forget.
#121: simple prayers of salvation
