Cherished Memories From My Child-heart...

Last night I wrote a wonderful post about a memory I had as a child. I got it all finished and spell checked and my computer decided to freeze up just as I was about to push the "publish" button. My page was "not responding"... and I lost everything except the couple paragraphs that were frozen to my screen. So frustrating! I am going to try again... perseverance is the key.

I have recently thought of a time spent with my mama that is very precious to me. I was about 3 years old. My mama loved God and I remember her teaching me about him. She taught me how to pray. Every night before I went to bed... her and I would get down on our knees at the side of my bed... we would bow our heads... fold our hands... close our eyes... and pray. At first, she would say a couple words at a time and have me repeat them until the little prayer was finished. Later as time went on and I started to remember the prayer, she would say a sentence at a time and I would repeat that. Then I could say it all by myself after a while... but she would still be with me.

This memory is so very precious to me. It was such a quiet, reverent time of honor and love to God. That is how my mama was throughout her life when it came to things of God. I can remember her kneeling with me as if it were yesterday. I have not remembered this for a very, very, very long time.

My mama always said to my brothers and I that we were her gifts from God. She first had a miscarriage of twins... then a single miscarriage... then she had me... then she had my twin brothers. She always said that God gave her back the babies she was meant to have. Every day of my life... I knew how much of a gift I was to her in her life... (my brothers too) because she always let us know how much she loved us. Teaching me about God... I feel... was her way of giving back to him the gift he had given her.

I will always remember the sweet words she taught me. My heart swells with pride, love, honor, and just all the gooshey good stuff when I think... if my own mother loved me THAT much... just try to imagine how great God's love is!!

Today I can honestly say that I love God with that same childlike heart. Full of innocence and respect. Only it has deepened as the years have passed. So tonight... even though my knees hurt beyond words... and my legs don't move around as good as they used to... and it might take my husband and my daughter to get me up off the floor... I WILL get down on my knees at the side of my bed... bow my head... fold my hands... and close my eyes and pray...

"Jesus tender shepherd hear me. Bless thy little child tonight. Through the darkness be thou near me. Keep me safe until morning light."

Then of course... you have the "God blesses"... and through the years they have all changed...
"God bless Rich, and Hannah (and Sterling & Kitty), Don and Jessica, Chris and Katya, Aunt Dorcille and Uncle Wallace, Denise and Johnny and their families, Rich's mom and Nanny, Chad and Chris and their family, Josh and Amy and their family, Sonny and his family, All of the rest of the Ohio clan too numerous to count, Thelma and Butch and their family, All of Rich's heart transplant friends, My friends at work, And God... please bless everyone who reads what I write. Keep my hands and mind moving for you. Bring me to the promises you have for me. Thank you for all of the blessings in my life. God bless anyone else I forgot. Amen"