say your prayers...

I'm almost 3 weeks behind, Annabeth. My monthly motherly advice is barely making it into the month of February thanks to a rough month full of illness for our family. I had a miserable sinus infection for weeks that peaked a few weeks ago and has finally resolved itself. The day I started to feel better, you woke up with a fever. And just when I thought we were out of the woods, your dad came home with the flu. You ended the cycle this weekend by running another fever. Thankfully, you don't seem to stay sick past 24 hours, so that's been a real blessing. You've been one healthy gal, and  I hope that trend continues. I can always tell when you feel bad because your energy decreases and your desire to snuggle increases. I can't say I don't mind that one bit! But this week has started out well. Everyone is healthy, and the only issues I'm struggling with come from the beauty of being largely pregnant. This, too, shall pass. 

Your dad came home from work sick, and I knew pretty quickly that it was the flu. You get your energy levels from him, so the first flag popped up when he went to bed immediately after dinner. I put you down for bed that night and walked into our bedroom to find him under piles of blankets with a heating pad in an attempt to stay warm. He went to the clinic the first thing the next morning and sure enough it was the flu. We quarantined him to the bedroom which was rough on all of us. You couldn't stand to be away from him and tried your best to inch your way into the room as often as you could. The flu isn't fun for anyone, but it can be especially dangerous for pregnant women. I won't get into my conspiracy about the flu shot here, but considering all 3 of us had the shot and your dad still caught the flu proved that you and I were just as susceptible to getting it. I stayed away as far as I could, which meant I slept on the couch for a few nights. 

We've been remodeling our house since we moved in and the downside of that decision is that we don't have an extra bed. I suppose we won't anytime soon, either, since we're filling up our spaces with babies. And so the couch is great for naps but a whole night's worth of sleep left me sore and in pain. Your dad was nice to sleep on the couch when I was sick, so the least I could do was return the favor. Sick people should always get the bed. And so half way through the first night on the couch, I woke up to your crying and screams. Someone once told me that a mother knows the different cries of her child, and it's true. I could tell this was a scared, panicked cry. Maybe you had a bad dream or maybe something startled you awake and scared you. I didn't know the reason, but as soon as I walked into your room and bent over the side of your bed, you looked up and said, "Mommy, say my prayers." 

Each night we pray before bed and we pray before meals. Even when you were a tiny baby we would whisper a little prayer before laying you down at night. Seeing you bow your little head at meal time and hold hands helped me understand that you were getting it. And at night, I wondered if it just seemed like a routine to you or if you really knew what we were doing. Even now, I start the prayer and you fill it in with gratitude for everyone and every thing you can think of and we end it together saying "amen." But when I walked into your room in the middle of the night and your only request was to say prayers, my heart was melted and we prayed together so you could go back to sleep. 

This is such an important lesson, Annabeth. Prayer. All the time, at any time. In the middle of the night, in the morning, before meals, when something comes to mind, when you're scared or worried or really happy. Say your prayers. That's what God asks us to do. To pray without ceasing. And the amazing thing is that every prayer uttered from your lips is heard by God. He's never sleeping or out of ear shot, and so you can be confident that your prayers aren't a waste. That's so comforting to know, isn't it? And he asks us to cast our cares upon him. To come before him with prayer and petition so that he take those requests and give us his peace. Just as I come running to your aid when you cry out for me, so does God... for all of his children. And the prayer can be long or it can be short and simple. God already knows what's on your heart anyway, so even if you can't find the right words to say, well, he still understands. And he will answer, Annabeth. He promises to, and God doesn't break a promise. When you say his name, He bends his ear to listen - every time. 

So keep this practice up, sweet child. Say your prayers. When you're with others or when you're alone, it doesn't matter. Just say your prayers and rest in the assurance that the God of the universe hears each and every one!