Playing and Praying

When Erick gets home in the evening, we have a pretty enjoyable routine. We eat some supper (at home if we're behaving), then we do some sort of family activity. A lot of times, Sophia chooses this time of day to play in her playroom. It isn't a room that we spend a lot of time in during the day for some reason. I suppose it's because I'm cooking or cleaning, and she still doesn't really want to be by herself that much. Anyway, that's what we do.

Here is Sophia cuddling with her daddy and pretending to sleep.

A blur playing with a big pink ball.
We play, then Sophia watches five minutes of TV while she gets her pulmicort breathing treatment. Since she had been having so much trouble sleeping last week, we started praying together as a family just before Erick takes her upstairs. It seemed to help a couple of nights, and then she just really seemed to enjoy it. After one particularly difficult day last week, she and Erick were talking before bed. He asked what her favorite part of the day was and gave her a few options. She replied, "My favorite part was when Mommy prayed with us."

I feel very grateful for those moments as they are the glue that keeps my sanity partially intact. So we have been praying together every night, and every night she just opens her eyes and has this incredibly sweet and happy smile on her face. Honestly, if I needed convincing that there is a god and that he is a caring and relational being, that look would push me over the edge. During that brief encounter, I don't speak any differently than I do throughout the day. Erick and I even squeeze her in family hugs several times a night, so it's not our proximity, either. I just think it must be that some place inside of our little girl is awakened and soothed in that conversation with her Abba, while her Mommy and Daddy look on.