Powerful Teaching From A Four Year Old

I am thankful that both of our sons and daughters in law are followers of Christ. They have taught their four boys the truth of God's Word from day one. They have told the boys about the love of Christ, and sought to model Christian living before them. They have kept them in church where they could hear the Gospel from other loving teachers who have reinforced the message in their young hearts. As a result, the 9 year old and the 8 year old have given their lives to Christ. Nothing has given me more joy than to be allowed to baptize one of my own grandsons at Rose Hill Baptist Church where he and his family are members!

All four of our grandchildren have been taught to pray - a Christian discipline which I hope they develop and practice all the days of their lives. I want to tell you about one grandson's recent prayers, but first let me give you a little background.

Grandson number 3 (Canon, our four year old who lives in New Orleans) has been through quite a bit of adversity over the past two years. The problem first came to light when he began to cry and fuss about how his leg was hurting. He was in obvious discomfort, and after a trip to West Jefferson Parish Hospital's ER, the family was referred to New Orleans Children's Hospital.

X rays indicated that one of the bones in the lower part of his leg was broken.

Since he had not experienced any obvious trauma it was necessary to find the reason for the fracture. An MRI at Children's Hospital detected a tumor which had weakened the bone to the point that it had broken under normal activity.

Naturally the family was concerned and prayers were going up everywhere for the little boy. Surgery was performed to remove the non malignant cyst, but the surgeon cautioned Canon's parents that it was quite possible that the tumor would recur. And recur it has.

Twice.

They found in early July that the leg was broken a third time.

The close proximity of the tumor to the growth plate in the bone has necessitated prompt action to try to protect that important area of his little leg. And, as a result, Canon just underwent his third surgery for the same problem in the past two years.

He is home now, wearing a full leg cast, and getting around in a little pediatric wheel chair. If all goes well, in a couple of weeks he'll be back on his little walker.

That brings me back to prayer.

I'm not just talking about the intercessory prayer that our family and friends have sent up on behalf of Canon, but about his own prayer. Jay and Michelle have shared with all of their friends the words that Canon spoke on Friday evening as he began his bedtime prayers. Michelle says went like this:

"I have just been taught by my four yr old. As we prayed before bed tonight, he said "thank you God Jesus for my cast and my wheelchair and thank you for my surgery!" He is thanking God for the "negative" things in his life!"

In Matthew 21:16, Jesus said, “Have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of children and nursing infants”?

Canon taught us all a pretty powerful theology lesson in his bed time prayer. Although he has never read 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, he did exactly what the Apostle tells us we should all do:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Isn't it wonderful to see such a basic spiritual truth - even if it is taught to us by a four year old?

I want to be like Canon when I grow up!