Mental Time Capsule

We had a very busy and noisy weekend, and I spent much of it looking forward to some time alone in the Adoration chapel on Sunday afternoon. As I was getting ready to leave to run an errand and stop at the chapel, Princess asked to come along. I hesitated. I didn't want to tell her no, but I really had been looking forward to my time alone with Jesus. I offered a compromise: she could join me for my errand, and then I would drop her home before I went to the chapel.

"No, Mama. I want to go pray to Jesus, too."

Um. Ok. You see, this is really my time... my way to recharge and get ready for a new week. But how could I tell my five year old not to come along and spend time in prayer?

I took a few minutes to describe the chapel and to tell her that she would not be allowed to talk... at all. She agreed. She grabbed a book and hopped out to the car.

When we got to the chapel, she took off her coat, set it and her book in a chair, and walked up to kneel before the monstrance. The sight of it took my breath away. My sweet little girl, kneeling in a green plaid jumper, hands folded, head bowed. Tears came to my eyes, and I prayed for my daughter more fervently than I ever have in my life. What a blessing this was! How could I have been so selfish? How could I have almost left her home?

We only stayed for about 20 minutes. Princess was silent during that time. She alternately sat in a chair, reading and knelt before the monstrance, praying. When she began to tire of the silence and (relative) inactivity, she came over to me and whispered, "How much longer?" I knew my time was up, and we knelt together, whispering an "Our Father."

She put on her coat, picked up her book, and genuflected to the monstrance. I paused for one last moment of gratitude for this incredible blessing.

I came home and told DH about our little visit to the chapel. Tears again came to my eyes as I described her kneeling so reverently before the Lord. He told me that we needed to hold onto this picture... to make a mental time capsule of this moment: the reverence, the sweetness, the complete trust with which she came before God.

May each of us learn to approach Him that way.