Prayers

Here's a post that's perfect for Sunday.  Let's start two nights ago I think.. maybe three.  Jeremy and I were going to bed, and we had a talk about ... well about lots of things.  (It's Jeremy's favorite part of the day... haha) and it got around to the kids.  Bedtimes have been hard lately, almost only because of Mason.  Then I told him that I was frustrated with all aspects of bedtime.  Between a year and a year and a half ago we started reading scriptures with the kids at bedtime.  We each read a verse (kids repeat after me).  At first it went great, and I really loved it and noticed a difference in our home and it was wonderful.  But now, it's a struggle.  We still do it, but usually while one kid is hiding in the closet yelling their words, and another is jumping on the bed, and mommy is bouncing a fussy baby while trying not to resort to yelling and threatening for two minutes (probably less) of peace and quiet and, dare I say, reverence, for our scripture reading.  By the end, everyone is stressed and upset, and I feel it was the farthest thing from uplifting, and I was telling Jeremy I wondered what the point was.  Maybe bedtime would be more peaceful without it?  They aren't getting anything out of it.  I always hear people say things like "It's hard, and I often wonder if it makes a difference, but I'm so glad we stuck with it through the years."  I assumed they were talking about the waking up at 5:30 am for a chance to read as a family, which would be really hard... but maybe they're talking about the baby/toddler years.... probably both!

ANYWAY, we had just had this big talk, and obviously I know it's a very good thing to do, but hard!  So, at church today, Brenna had a substitute Sunbeam teacher which happened to be an older lady in the ward that we've spent some time with lately and know pretty well.  She stopped me in the hallway part way through church and said to me "Brenna is such a beautiful child of God!  She said the opening prayer in Sunbeams today, and she is grateful for so many things, it touched my heart.  What 4-year-old uses the word grateful?  So wonderful!"
Wow, what a nice thing for her to say.  I told Jeremy about it later and he leaned over and said "and you were wondering what good you were doing".

So, though it's hard to see sometimes, I guess it is at the least setting a good example!  It's sure nice to hear such lovely things about your kids!  Scripture reading was just as crazy as usual tonight, but we did it, and we will keep doing it!  And I do love hearing my children pray.  They both love to pray, and Mason's are so simple and cute, and Brenna's are pretty lengthy and very sweet.  Some of the precious moments of being a parent!