Every so often these writings will center around children – both teaching them and being taught by them.  Today I was taught.  This morning I took my prayer walk with my 18 month old grandson. He listened attentively, while occasionally turning around to ask the question, “All done?”  It occurred to me how wonderfully refreshing it was to pray in a way that a toddler could comprehend.  We thanked God for the beautiful things we saw and asked him to mold our hearts and to be with us in all the things planned for our day.  We enjoyed the things God made and prayed for some specific people.  It was pretty straight forward; heart felt and very simple. (Our singing this morning was perhaps not the most spiritual, as it mainly centered around “Wheels on the Bus,” his personal fave.)  It was a good prayer time; I think God heard us.

Last night after midweek I went with a friend to get ice cream – (actually frozen yogurt, to be more health conscious – never mind the chopped up heath bar strewn throughout).  She was telling me about the simple world of her special-needs son; sharing her contrasting feelings of having a very difficult lot in life, while at other times feeling that she has been given a special secret to the joy of life; learning to feel and notice things in a way that she would not without the “tutoring” from her special needs son.  I thought of the scripture, Matthew 6:25-34
    “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? [26] Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? [27] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
    [28] “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. [29] Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. [30] If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. [34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If I can just live out the profound simplicity of this verse today, it will be a simply wonderful day.