It was a precious moment for sure. In the middle of a bustling, noisy family evening, Nathaniel (age 3 1/2) stood close to his Great Granny Rachael. His eyes were open but staring straight ahead. He put his hands on each side of his face and in a quiet, steady voice he began to speak. It took us a minute, but we quickly realized what he was doing. We listened intently to see if he knew the whole thing. It was amazing.
"Our Fodder...who are in hebben..." It was obvious that he had learned the prayer in sections and every now and then he needed a prompt for the first word of the section. But it was only a prompt and he would go on, not rushing but with a steady pace. Every now and then, a word would be a little "off", only because his brain could only retain things the way his ears interpreted the sounds.
We didn't crack a smile until he got to the end: "For thine is the power and the glorious...forever and ever, Amen." The power and the glorious...I love it! His words give me a new perspective for looking at my world. It is truly powerful and glorious. And I hope Nathaniel remembers it that way throughout his life...when he looks at a sunset...or a mountain...or a seashore...or the wings of a butterfly.
The power and the glorious! Thank you, Precious Lambs Preschool in Jacksonville, Florida. You're doing a great job.