Bedtime story

The bedtime routine in our house is pretty simple: Get in your sleepsack, listen to Mommy and Daddy say a prayer, receive a goodnight kiss, and go to sleep. Earlier this week, however, I suddenly felt the strong urge to add a new element: Between the prayer and the kisses, Ted and I now sing "Jesus Loves Me" to the kids (once in English and once in Spanish). Hearing Mommy and Daddy sing together really seems to settle them down, and a couple of the kids are already trying to participate (Isaac especially enjoys standing up and vigorously nodding his head during the "yes, Jesus loves me" part).

Ready for beddy!
(clockwise from bottom left: Jude, Isaac, Lucia, and Dahlia)

After last night's song, Ted and I were starting to give out the goodnight kisses when I heard Lucy say, "again." I thought she wanted another kiss, but as I leaned in, she beamed up at me and confidently pronounced, "Je-us." What a thrill!

With a song in my heart, I immediately launched into another round of "Jesus Loves Me"—and wondered at a little girl who, although still too young to understand what it means to accept Jesus, nevertheless knows that what she really wants is to hear her mommy and daddy sing about Him one more time before she goes to sleep.

Upon reflection today, however, I realized that I got it backwards last night: The real wonder is that my little girl is actually still young enough to understand exactly what it means to accept Jesus.

"Unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

(Matthew 18:3)