Yup. It's only been two days since Christmas 2011 and we've already hit the stores for next year. I dragged Michael and the kids out for the sales at Target, Hobby Lobby and the Red Door (a cute little shop in Allendale). We were in search of name tags, a tree skirt and a new stocking for Caleb. (We decided that since he is one month shy of 11 it is indeed time to set the Tigger stocking aside and move on to something more age appropriate.)
There were a few other secret items on my list that the rest of the family didn't know about. I was searching for four little journals, two with pretty flowers and two with not a single hint of pink or flower anywhere. The past few days I'd been contemplating once again the true meaning of Christmas and how to avoid the trap of materialism and encourage my children to think a little deeper.
As I was praying through my daily list of young souls I'm entrusted with I was reminded that one of the best gifts I can give them is my prayers. My mom has been encouraging me for years to keep a written record of the spiritual comments the kids make. I haven't gotten around to that yet but her suggestion was the foundation of the idea that came so strongly to me yesterday. What if I kept a prayer journal for each of the kids from now until next Christmas, keeping that written record of what I see in them, how I'm praying for them and how God is answering those prayers? And what if I wrapped them up and gave them to the kids next year at Christmas?
"But would you really follow through and do that?" I questioned myself. Well, I've learned a bit from my Monday circle of fellow BSF leaders. This year my friends Siglende, Fran and Becca have taken the step of telling us what God had put on their hearts and invited us to be their accountability lovelies and make sure they followed through on His promptings. So...following their example I'm writing on my blog what I feel God is impressing me to do. Now I'm accountable to you to actually keep those prayer journals. Feel free to ask me a year from now how it went!
I found just the right journals that I was looking for. Grace even helped me pick out the ones for her and Abby thinking they were, "for your ladies". I just told her I needed them for a project. The one I had in mind for Grace has, "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" written on it. How sweet it was to hear Grace read the verse and then start singing the song. As I type this the four journals are lying next to me on the couch and yes, they have each been written in.
It is my hope and prayer that as I write in these journals God will use this to encourage me to be faithful in prayer and expectantly look for answers. And that He will use these prayers in amazing ways in the lives of Caleb, Grace, Micah and Abby for years to come. That would truly be a wonderful Christmas gift.
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