Grandchildren’s Prayers

October 11, 2019

For more than twenty years, Linda and I have had the rare privilege of opening our home to our grandchildren for an overnight twice each month. It started with Alex and Abi when they were babes in arms, and continues to this day. We’ve literally watched them grow up before our eyes. Friday night begins with dinner, usually Linda’s macaroni & cheese, with hot dogs, peas and cottage cheese, and her homemade applesauce. Dinner is followed by “High-Low,” going around the table with what was the best thing today, and what was the worst. Highs are mandatory, lows optional. Often board games in colder weather, or kick ball and campfire in warmer months round out the evening before getting everyone ready for bed. In the morning, it’s pancakes and sausage or french toast for breakfast.

There’s one other item on Friday night’s agenda: we pray together. Linda’s prayer is from Scripture: “I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your heart, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you know and understand as all God’s children should, how wide, how high, how deep, and how long God’s love for you really is, though you will never fully know or understand it, but someday you will be filled up with God himself.” At various phrases, the kids, from the oldest to the youngest, have learned to chime in with the right words. Then I pray, and everyone heads to bed. This has been going on as I say, for twenty years.

Tonight just before prayers, Linda shared with them the events of last night, how she passed out and spent the night in ER. She told them the tests indicated something not quite right inside her brain—perhaps she’s had a silent stroke at some point. She asked them to be praying for her. She then continued with her regular prayer, I offered mine, and we were just about to shuffle them to their respective sleeping areas when Abi motioned to Meema to come sit beside her. Linda did, and Abi invited the rest of the kids to gather round and lay hands on her while she prayed, instructing Linda to not cry as she began. It’s one thing to pray for your children and grandchildren. It’s something else—a humbling blessing—when they return the favor. We are both so very thankful tonight for grandchildren who have learned to pray and who stand ready to pray for us. What a gift of grace!