She Thanked Him for Chicken Nuggets

After a long awaited Valentine's Day party, tons of excitement, and mounds of cards, stickers, stamps, tatoos and candy, Av. finally fizzled out last night like a July 4th sparkler at its end. Although she doesn't understand the full meaning of Valentine's Day (What two and a half year old would or even needs to?), she was thrilled that this "Love" holiday appeared out of nowhere (in her mind) bestowing upon her a new heart-covered shirt, a party, candy, and a reason to stuff cards for her classmates into paper and glitter-covered shoe boxes.
It was time for Av. to crawl in her big girl bed and say her prayers. I challenged her to really stop, think, and thank God for the things she loves. She thanked Him for chicken nuggets.
The sincerity of her prayer was precious; the innocence even more so. I started thinking... At what point in the transition from being an infant, a toddler, a young child, and then to a teenager/young adult, do we lose that innocence? "For we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. I think because we are all sinners by nature, we will inevitably become sinners by choice as soon as we are able to do so. Once this happens, that precious innocence that we see so often in our children becomes lost. Innocence is so very precious because this world doesn't contain a drop of it until a child is born. All this leads me to thank God for something I truly love-His grace! "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith . . ." Ephesians 2:8. God sacrificed His only Son to get you, and me, into heaven. Grace simply refers to the kindness of God toward the undeserving, and boy am I undeserving.

I look forward to the day when Av. understands Valentine's Day, but more importantly when she will be able to truly understand God's love and His grace. Until then, I suppose she will thank Him for her chicken nuggets...