I finally got him to lay down comfortably in his bed after several false attempts. It’s not unusual, I mean he is a 2-year old and they’re not exactly known for wanting to sleep. Maybe I should also add that I am not his mother and so putting him to bed has been even more of a struggle for me lately. I’ve been kicked, hit, screamed at… you name it. This mothering thing is hard work, and sometimes it’s hard to separate what is him being a 2-year old, and what is him testing me because he is still getting to know me.
Tonight, none of the past mattered. All the times I lay there and cried, feeling beaten down by my own shortcomings, not knowing how to handle him, and letting him get the best of me… it all melted away with three simple words…
No, not those words. He has no problem telling me he loves me. But what child of 2 says to someone they haven’t known very long…
I NEED YOU.
Simple, to the point. He wove his arms in mine and held on for dear life, not wanting me to let go of him. Not wanting me to leave him.
There are so many ways I can look at this, so many implications that are just now going through my mind. But in that moment my focus was on prayer. I have prayed many prayers over this child and tonight, I prayed heavily on God’s ears to allow this child to know him, that he would grow up and ask Jesus to come into his life. I prayed that he turns to Him in his time of need, when all else seems hopeless and he feels alone. I told him that he is not alone, and that Jesus loves him, and that when I’m not there and Daddy’s not there, Jesus still is. Jesus is always there for him, and always will be.
No child is too young to start praying on. Every child should know that they are not alone and that there is always someone to turn to. I pray for all of God’s children that they turn to you Lord in their time of need. I pray that their parents seek you for guidance on how to lead them to You, and the many blessings you have for them Lord. My Christian heart is young, but my love and my faith are steadfast with the testament of my life before you. I know that we all have so many things to pray for but please remember our children, young and old, born and unborn that need our guidance. They are our future, yes, but they are also the next generation of workers in God’s kingdom.
Kristeen Nicole Gillooly 