The Feathered Nest

Childlike Faith.

I noticed, one night after tuck ins, that Cassidy had created a bit of a fort in her bed by draping a comforter from the top bunk, so that it encased her like a little cocoon. The telltale illumination told me that she wasn't sleeping in that tent, but probably reading or playing with a Littlest Pet Shop puppy she had stashed under her pillow. I pulled the fabric back, in an "Aha, Caught you!" kind of Mommy move, and couldn't have been more suprised at what I found. My sweet little second grader was sitting cross legged in her bed, praying.

"Mommy, I am having special prayer time praying the kids on our street will hear God's call. " My heart could have burst, that this quiet, shy child, who often is too embarrassed for shared prayer ,and has been known to fuss when I asked if we could pray about a situation, was choosing to come to the Lord on her own. She gets it. She knows that when you have something on your mind or heart, the place to take it is to His throne.

Cassidy has battled severe allergies and eczema her whole life. For most of her life it was common for her to awaken with her legs and sheets covered in blood from the wounds on her skin that she couldn't resist scratching in her sleep. She would scream and cry as we put painful ointment on open sores. Her nights were filled with nonstop sneezing and tossing and turning. We have prayed over this child every prayer you could imagine, waiting for her to be healed. My Dad felt that God told him He was healing her from the inside out, and we believed with hope, not knowing exactly what it meant, but holding on in faith.

As she has matured, we have seen a peace fill her life; a depth of understanding to encompass her mind and heart. And as this internal peace has developed, her walk with the Lord has grown to be a light that shines from within. I believe we are seeing God's will played out in my child's life. She is in fact, being healed from within, as she turns her sinful natural heart over to the Great Physician. As He restores her heart to His image, her physical body is also being renewed. Her skin is smooth and she now rarely requires medication. She is a happy child who is learning more every day to trust in Him, as she sees what He has done in her life, and she wants to share it with others, in her own quiet, faithful way.

Since the night I discovered her praying she has made it a nightly ritual, and as I pass by her room I see the light under the blanket, and my heart swells. She has begun inviting her sister to join her, and seeing the two of them praying together, and journaling their prayers in her special "prayer book" is one of the greatest joys of my life. (I believe we could have a full revival soon, as they have begun to add praise and worship.)

As they pray, the light that glows from within that special bunkbed chapel is a physical reminder of the Light that shines from within their hearts. And I thank God. Oh, how I thank God.