The 'Making' of a Saint....sort of.

My favorite moments with my 5 and 1/2 year old rosebud daughter are after the other kids go to bed, on the rare occasion that happens early, and her and I can spend some quality time together. She comes alive! The other night was one such occasion. We read together, played together, and talked with each other. Then, when it was time for us to part ways, we decided to first say bedtime prayers together (a normal part of our routine).

"What would you like to say to Our Lord tonight," I asked her.

"Ummm...," she pondered. Then a twinkle and a spark. "MOM! Let's make up a NEW prayer!"

"Okay," I responded, reaching for a nearby notepad and pen.

She settled in her seat on the couch, scooting closer to me at the same time. She thought for a moment, wheels turning, then began, "Lord, thank you for my parents and for my sisters, _______, and _______."

I wrote. She continued.

"Jesus, even when we don't see you, you are still there." I instantly was moved and amazed by her insight.

Then she took a deep breath in and sighed, "I just love that part, Mom. That even though we don't see him I just know he's there."

"That's lovely, honey! Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it. I just love it," she concluded.

"Great," I said, assuming our time was finished I shuffled the papers and started to rise, proud of my daughter the little saint with a profound faith.

"Now, mom."

Oh, we're not done? I sat back down. "Yes?"

Then she spoke rather deliberately, "I was thinking, you know, to write how I did it."

I blinked a few times, trying to understand what she was saying.

"You know, like in Beauty and the Beast, on the DVD, when they tell you HOW they did it, you know?"

Then it dawned on me, "OH, you mean when we watched 'The Making' of Beauty and the Beast?"

Sitting up straight, she responded quite sure of herself, "Yes. I thought it would be neat if now we did that for my prayer."

Unable to hold it back, a giggle came out as I said, "You mean like a 'Making of the Prayer?'"

"Uh huh! Can I do that? Write it down."

It took all my strength to try not to laugh! I suppose she wouldn't be my daughter the saint with the profound faith unless she had a little bit of vanity to overcome, I mused to myself.

I grabbed the notebook again, and below the prayer I wrote 'The Making of the Prayer.'

Seeing I was ready, she began:
"I thought in my mind how I wanted to do it. One part I really liked, when I said, 'Jesus, when I didn't see you, you were still there.' This is an anytime prayer. I really like making up prayers."

I glanced at her, waiting in case there was more.

She looked right back at me and said, "That's it, Mom."

"Okay," I said, smiling.

Overcome with pleasure at her creation she exclaimed, "I just LOVE it! So we can do this EVERY DAY now, okay?"

"Absolutely!"

"This is our new prayer! And after it we can tell how I did it!"

Trying to hold back the laughter that was bubbling up inside of me, I responded, "Sure thing, babe!"

So now, every day, she recites her new prayer quite respectfully. And afterward, she lights up and she says with a perk, "Okay, guys, ready to hear the 'making' of it?"