The prayers of a child...

In our home, prayer is a very large part of our everyday routines.

We believe that God hears and answers these prayers and we believe that He knows our hearts.

The moment I found out we were expecting each of our children, we started bathing them in prayer. Praying for their health, their futures. But now that they are here and growing up, we are teaching them to pray.

I don't think there is anything more precious than hearing my children's little voices as they talk to God. I love to hear them ask Him for things and believe that He will provide what we need.

This last week, my boys were really taught a lesson. And in a way.. their faith has become sight.

Last week I received a friend request on Facebook. I didn't recognize the name, so I pulled up the profile picture to see if I maybe recognized the face of this person. When I saw this profile picture, it took my breath away.

I couldn't believe what I was looking at..

Rewind a year ago, we were just a few months away from Madeline going to Heaven and we were devastated with the grief of missing her. All of us were. It was so difficult to go visit the cemetery and even more difficult to take a 3 and 5 year old there with us. Though my boys were young, Rick wanted them to learn that visiting there would now be a part of our lives, because Maddie was part of our lives.

So, amidst our grief and heartache of visiting there, Rick did something that amazed me (You may remember me mentioning this before.) He took my boys by the hands and asked them to pick out a grave of another child so we could pray for their families too.

I'll never forget thinking how amazing my Husband was in that moment and it honestly made me fall even more in love with him and his heart than I already was. To think that in such a time of devastation and weakness, he was teaching our children to not think of ourselves, but others.

So, our sweet little boys picked out a grave and read the name of a little boys, Travys. Sweet little Travys. I remember his little stone and the pair of baby shoes and the angel so vividly.

So that night, as we asked God to help our hearts, we also prayed for Travys' family. And my sweet boys have prayed for Travys' mom and family every night since.

There is not a night that goes by that we do not pray for them. My sweet boys lift the name of this precious family to the Lord... Even 16 months later. Because we know that no time frame will ever heal the hearts of a family who has lost a child. These babies are missed every single day...


So...

As I opened this picture and looked to see who this was, you'll NEVER guess what I saw.

It was a picture of sweet little Travys' headstone. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't breathe.

Immediately I thought, do I know this person? All this time we've been praying for this family and asking God to help them.

It turns out I do not know them, but God brought us together.

I messaged sweet Travys' Mama and told her this story. I told her how her sweet little boys name is mentioned in our home nightly and how we pray for her. Even though we do not know her, we pray. Because we know what prayer can do in our lives; during the heartache and during the pain.

Prayers carry us.

She wrote me back in complete Awe. She couldn't believe that all this time, my precious little boys have been praying for her. Mentioning her child. She told me this was the nicest thing anyone has ever done. It was such a blessing.

We plan to meet with Travys' Mommy and their family, and I hope to share more about our experience, but in the mean time I just wanted to share what a special moment this was for all of us.

She told me that God brought her family to mine for a reason. I just can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do...

I'm so very thankful for the prayers of my children. They are so precious and faithful. I'm so glad that we have instilled in them, when we have a need for us or others, we can go to the Lord and He will hear us. He will answer us.

And every now and then... He let's our faith become sight.

What a blessing this has been for our family. I sure am thankful for these little prayer warriors. <3

Every time we go visit Madeline's spot at the cemetery, the boys pick a new stone of a child's family to pray for. It's kind of become their little ministry and it sure has become a blessing.

I would like to encourage you to pray with your children, you just never know when God will answer one of them, and it teaches our children, first hand, the power of God.

Romans 1;9

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Much Love (and prayers to you)

Natalie