Taking it right to the top

Today being Easter, the kids had no Sunday School class. Don't ask me the logic on this one - send a bunch of young children that can't sit still for the duration of a service that will creep beyond its normal hour when we know the place will be jam packed with the visitors that appear in their finest attire twice a year.

Knowing the challenge sitting in an actual service would be to a two and half year old, we gave Logan a choice. He could either go into the nursery (aka the baby class) with Megan or he could come sit with us ONLY if he promised to be as quiet and good as he could possibly be. He opted to for the "big people church."

The boy was a gem thanks in part to his total obsession with learning to read. He sat on my lap talking happily before things got underway. Once the service started however, he was transfixed by both bulletin and hymnal as long as I kept my finger moving along whatever words the congregation was to say. He'd join in as soon as he saw a word he recognized - something that caused the older members around us to smile

Then it came time for some silent prayer. The moment the Pastor stopped speaking, Logan started in. I leaned into his soft, for once not messy hair, and whispered into his ear "Honey, this is when we need to pray quietly ok. Shhh."

And he did. He folded his hands neatly on his lap and bowed his head. Then he whispered his "default" prayer - the one he says whenever he doesn't know what else to say at bedtime or if he's saying grace over dinner - "God, thank you. Amen."

The service moved forward and Logan still sat perched on my lap with his folded hands. He looked up at the vaulted ceiling, finding the support beam that runs between the chapel section we sat in and the chancel. "Those lights are out! Look Grandma! They're broke!" he said in his not so quiet toddler voice. He pointed his little hand up at the lights in question. Two of the ones along the support beam were indeed burnt out. I leaned into his ear again and whispered "Oh, you're right Logan. Ok, but remember, its quiet time right now. Ok?"

He nodded and then put his head back down to look at his folded hands. He started to whisper again. Quietly. Very quietly in fact. He was so low I couldn't make out what he said. When I asked him later what he had been doing he told me honestly:

"I was prayin'. I said 'God, you made the light. Those ones aren't working. They are broke. Amen.'"