Beautiful

I've been blessed to see some amazing sights in my life. The Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome.  The Rialto Bridge in Venice.  Cathedrals in Europe.  The Mall in Washington, DC with its many monuments ~ the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the White House.  I've crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and walked through art galleries with inspiring paintings.

I've also seen God's creation at its finest.  An unfolding rose and the turning leaves of Fall.  I've seen a hawk soaring overhead and watched a deer leap across my trail.  I've hiked to the top of falls in Yosemite and walked along the fine sands of the Gulf of Mexico.  I've walked the top of the Haleakala crater on Maui and kayaked a river in Kauai.

But there is nothing quite as beautiful as what I witnessed last night.  It was at the end of service, while we gathered for prayer.  Eight year old, Mariah, gathered with us.  She wasn't sitting quietly next to her mother, or even playing around with one of her friends.  Mariah was seeking God with her whole heart.  As tears streamed down her cheeks, I think God must have loved the sight even more because He came down and refilled her with His precious Spirit.

Something deep inside me is touched when I see a child praying.  I see such potential and feel such hope.  I know that God can keep them.  Yes, they'll face troubles in life ~ we all do.  But the scars that many adults carry due to a life a sin can be avoided in one so young if they will keep coming back to that beautiful place in God's presence. I know that God can turn lives around ~ He's so good at it.  But He is also good at keeping His children in the palm of His hand.  In my eyes, there's just nothing more beautiful.

Mom and Dad, have you prayed with your child today?