Learning from a Kindergarterner

It is easy for adults to ignore the simplicity and innocence of a child's mind. I remember an instance when this was made very clear to me. It was a brief moment I shared with a Kindergarten Sunday School student the Sunday immediately following the attacks of 9/11.

I was a helper, teacher or superintendent for the Kindergarten Sunday School department at my church for more than 20 years. I have many fond memories of that time which include the periods when both of my daughters passed through the class. I recalled one memory many times over the past few years. The student's name was Heather. She was 5 years old in September of 2001.

We had a routine each Sunday that started with songs, moved to a short voluntary prayer time, a lesson and ended with a simple craft. It was during prayer time that Heather offered to say a prayer. It went something like this:

"Jesus, please be with my fishy that died and was flushed down the toilet, and with the men who knocked down our buildings".

It hit me immediately. The distance between those two requests seemed like infinity. Heather had witnessed two significant events during the past week, and in her mind they were equivalent. And for both, she had asked Jesus to intervene. I would never have thought to ask for either. Praying for a dead pet fish seemed so insignificant, while praying for the dead hijackers was neither appealing or within the realm of possibility. Yet, a 5 year old had just asked God for both.

I think we can all learn from that. Nothing is too small or too large to take to God. Yet, we consistently apply our own filters to decide what requests are appropriate. Thanks Heather, for the lesson you taught that Sunday morning.