Jesus Don't Let the Wolf Come

I turned on the cartoons for my two youngest kids 5 and 3 years old. This was an attempt to occupy them while I took a few minutes to shower. After about 5 minutes they came in the bathroom and told me that they had turned off the TV because the shows were bad. I asked, “What was bad?” Apparently they had changed the channel to search for better cartoons than the one I had left them to watch, and stumbled upon a movie scene in which a little girls was about to get eaten by a wolf. Frightened by the scene they turned off the TV. I was impressed more however by the conversation between my two children that followed.

They left the bathroom and stood outside of the door. As I combed my hair I overheard them talking. Sam said, “I hope that I don’t have dreams about that wolf.” Emma replied, “I don’t want dreams either.” Sam said, “I am going to pray right now, Jesus please don’t let the wolf come in my dreams and don’t let me have to go to sleep in mommy and daddy’s bed. Amen.” Emma quickly followed, “Jesus, please don’t let the wolf come when I go to sleep either and not to go to bed with daddy and mommy.”

I believe that these are the prayers that our Father in heaven hears and delights in. As I delighted in how cute they sounded, Our Father in heaven loves Sam and Emma turned to him with their simple request. Perhaps my prayer should have followed with, “Father please forgive me for leaving my children alone to watch TV.”