We pray at night.
My wife, my daughter and I.
We gather together and sit on the bed and join each other in prayer.
I lead the prayer, then my wife joins in - and finally our seven year old daughter raises her prayers up last. Then we kiss each other and lay down for the night.
Last night, though was slightly different.
When it came time for Julia Amaris to say her prayer, she started slow.
"Papa God...(pause)...uh...Dear Papa God...(another pause)..."
And then we heard her sniff.
Then she continued her prayer as she began to weep.
"Papa God, please help me to be a good girl to my Mama and Dada..."
She was crying by now, and you could feel the sincerity of her prayer. My wife and I looked at each other as we listened to her prayer.
"...sometimes I am not a good girl... when I do not obey them and do not do my homework or my Kumon."
"Please let me be a good girl because I love my Mama and Dada and they love me..."
Her last words just trailed off as she continued to sob from the heart. I bent over, touched my forehead to hers, and whispered "Amen".
"Amen", Julia Amaris said with a sniff.
I kissed her forehead and lay her down to sleep. She curled up into a little ball beside me and I held her as her crying subsided.
"You're a good girl, Julia", I assured her. My wife reached over to hug her too.
Assured of our love, she fell asleep peacefully.
And so did we.
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