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Melissa Whitaker, a Facilitator from California shared the following email recently:
Last weekend, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with a small group of children ranging in ages from 3 to 6. We spent our time playing, singing, reading stories and walking in the beautiful forest surroundings. Several other adults had different tasks to care for the children, and my responsibility was sharing about prayer.
The children had a full day of games, stories and outside play before it got to the "prayer session" part of the day, and a few minutes before I called them into the quiet room, I had concern that they might not make it for this last part. As all the kids noisily piled in the room with sweaty faces, dirty palms and happy faces, I pulled out a storybook and instantly started reading a fun story to grab their attention. This worked, thankfully for the little ones, although a few of the older kids feigned interest preferring to find other things to focus their attention on in the room.
I proceeded, then, to pull out my portable prayer "area" complete with rug and backpack full of personal prayer things. The kids loved the rug and as I pulled out candles, prayer beads, instruments and prayer book the children sat enraptured! - all but the two older kids. Well, I decided not to worry about this and kept moving on. With each thing, I shared the significance of how it helped me to pray and create a peaceful and very special environment. We talked about how each person has their own unique way of praying and showing reverence. That is when I pulled out the Virtue cards.
As they were fanned out in front of the children, I noticed Isabel, one of the girls who had showed no interest, move her head more in the direction of the circle. We talked about virtues, and how, just like prayer, it is like food to help our spirit grow. I was thinking just to keep it simple and pull out the Prayerfulness virtue, but the children all enthusiastically said they wanted their own. You should have seen their faces! So happy, and most of them couldn't even read the card's name. This is when Isabel came to sit next to me, proceeded to take the whole pack and find the virtue with the giraffe on it. She said that she's got these at home, and likes the card with the giraffe. Her mom was there, and suggested to her to pick one and be surprised. The look on her face said no, but she was obedient and stuck it back in. I mixed them up, and she pulled another card. To her delight, she pulled the giraffe again - Trustworthiness.
We both looked at each other, and a thought occurred to me. I said to Isabel that this is a virtue that holds a great deal of responsibility. She looked back at me with such a serious face, and looked at her Mom. I said, "Isabel, God is entrusting you with something very important." I don't know what made me say that, and I blushed!, but after this she was the main helper of the group for the rest of the hour and on our nature walk in the woods.
I took the kids out to the forest, telling them that some people really feel close to God in nature. We all decided to walk to a secluded spot, say prayers, and then walk silently back to the room so that we could listen if God spoke to us. The kids walked, danced and skipped through the forest. We all said prayers, and one 3-year old prayed for the trees too!
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