Monday, September 21, 2009

Dearest God,

Four little girls ages 4, 5, 8, and 9, four beautiful faces of God. You.

My granddaughters stayed with me last weekend. Lucy, Gabrielle, Stella and Sophie. How different they are, how sweet and wonderful. I had forgotten how much fun we had when we had our overnights. It has been over six months since we last had a sleepover at my home. Finally, we have returned to our exceptional times together.

We went to the fish fry, the fun fest, the park, the grocery store and the movie theatre. We had a picnic at the park and two on the patio. They played bubbles and croquet while I made the meals. They looked for shiny rocks, those polished gems I always buy at the state parks and then hide them in the rocks around the tiny pond in my contemplative garden. They love to discover one and then place it at the feet of St. Francis of Assisi, a statue in my garden. We watched The Trouble with Angels and Ice Age at home.

But the most meaningful time we had, Lord, was in your house. Yesterday morning after breakfast I got everyone ready. I made sure they had on their church clothes. I combed their hair, washed their faces and hands, tied shoes. That left me with 30 seconds to get myself ready. Because I couldn't find my brush after one of them used it, I didn't get to brush my hair. I threw on my clothes and didn't even have time to put on makeup. But, oh well I had brushed my teeth.

They have beautiful spirits, Lord. Two are regular church goers. Although this was a new church to them where we stand, sit and kneel, they made all the moves. Lucy, however, sat on the kneeler with her little knees under the pew in front of us. It worked as we sang and made the sign of the cross on our head and chest.

It was when we started to leave that Sophie genuflected at the end of the pew. She showed the other girls how to do it. I had never done it before but she had watched others do it as they arrived for mass. At the baptistery she showed them how to make the sign of the cross with the water. Although she had been fairly quiet during worship, she came to life as she revealed her knowledge of this faith practice. When I took them to the front to look at the stained glass window, Lucy, the four year old wanted to know why the fake man was on the cross. "How did he land on the cross, Grandma?" She said. "Now there are two gods, one in heaven and one on earth." I tried to explain but I'm not sure she was convinced.

These girls prove your existence every time we get together. Their eyes bespeak the love of heaven. Their loving kindness is an example of your love in the world. Oh to be sure they are not saints. They argue and cry, blaming someone else for their demise. But they carry you inside themselves and I watch how you shine in their lives. What joy they spill into the world.

Gracious God,
your light shined
in my home
this weekend.
Your joy
was shared.
I am grateful.

Love, Andrea