Prayerful Parker

As my boys each get older, it is so sweet to me to see God made them their own little unique person.  Parker loves to pray in a different way than Davis has up to this point.  I pray with him in the morning and at night before bed everyday.  Parker always has a very specific list of who he wants to pray for - it is always people.  The list always has its variations but it ALWAYS includes the following:  Daddy, Day-day, Parker (yes in the 3rd person), Grayson, TJ, Logie-loges, Aunt Brenda, Uncle Don and Uncle Brad.  (Random on the relatives, I know.  Don't be offended, you ALL make an appearance once in a while.)  While I am praying he says "pray God for Daddy . . pray God for Day-day . . ect" so that I pray for the people he wants to pray for as he lists them off.  Mark and I have often wondered if he goes through such a long detailed list at bedtime just to delay bedtime, but I have been convinced lately that he genuinely wants to pray for these people.  When Mark and I had been talking about his Granddad's illness, he would regularly pray for "great granddad" and when Mark was at the cabin with Mike Caruso, he prayed for several nights for "miko's daddy".  It is always a list of people that he thanks God for - never anything else - never "stuff" or circumstances.

Tonight after dinner I took all three boys to the park.  When we went to leave, Parker had a melt down.  This very rarely happens with him but he did indeed pitch a huge fit.  Of course, with Grayson strapped to my chest and Davis on his bike, I had to just firmly hold Parker's hand and get him home.  He continued to cry and scream at me all the way home.  Lovely.  He changed his attitude when we got home and played happily, had a bath and got ready for bed.  When I went to pray with him tonight, he went through his current list of people.  When I was done he said again "Pray for Parker".  I said, "I already prayed for Parker" but I thanked God again for Parker and prayed for him the way I do each night.  I said amen again and he said "no, pray for Parker's attitude".  I know it is small.  It might seem crazy, but he genuinely wanted to pray for his attitude.  Hmmm, good idea buddy.  Maybe mommy should have thought of that earlier.  It was just the sweetest, sweetest thing to me to see him choose that on his own and possibly even see the necessity to pray to God about such things.  I love to see this little boy's sensitive heart.  God is so good to me to allow me moments like this.