4 year old Angel
by Christie Perkins
My 4 year old boy has a sweet little friend going through chemo. He has not missed one little prayer in his behalf. I thought that after a few days he would move on with life and forget- getting wrapped up in dump trucks, crazy kid moments, writing on walls, and mutilating boxes with pens (don’t ask…I don’t even know what draws him into that.)
And if we forget to mention his little friend in prayer (which we have) he is grumpy with us. He scowls and shoots out, “Hey, you forgot my friend.” We tip our ears down, tuck in our tails, and repent.
Oh, we repent!
But, he is persistent and perfect in prayer. He’s a four year old angel on a mission.
His prayers are always the same, “Please help my friend (calling him by name) to feel better. And I’m gonna ‘axe’ (AKA “ask”) my mom if he’s better when I’m done saying my prayer… Amen.”
And as always the same question jumps from his lips when he is done, “Mom, is he better?”
Perfect faith.
I wish it was that quick.
But, then I think. You know what? Yes. It does work that way. I’m certain a tiny stardust of hope floats his way. It may only be a brief moment: a hopeful thought, a sweet dream, a moment of relief from aches and pains and losses and gains, or even Mom’s lips on his cheek. All these little prayers- they are doing something.
And for a moment he feels better.
So, I’ve been thinking about my 4 year old boy and how much we need each others prayers. How, at times, we are in need of angels and other times we are the angel. And, really, it is the tiniest of things- like prayer- that are the big things.
He inspired this poem.
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“I love ‘urs’ hair Mommy. It’s cute,” my three year old said as he ran his fingers through my 1/2 inch stub of hair.
