ESCHATOLOGY AND NURSERY RHYMES
I still remember the book. I think it was my sister’s, but I read it too, and often, probably as much out of boredom as anything else. I still remember the pictures in the book. As an adult, remembering the drawings from childhood in vivid detail like it was just yesterday, says a lot about that artist… and the message.
The little girl portrayed was portrayed as sweet, innocent, kind, and tender. All that without saying anything about the young girl. It did show her in action, although it looked a bit more like inaction. I remember the artist portrayed the little girl’s innocent persona with big eyes, long eyes, and a simple smile flanked on both sides with red hair and freckles scattered on her face like stars in the sky on a clear night.
As I recall the book was thick, relatively speaking for a five or six-year-old, but the total number of thick pages was only four or five. I remember the little girl kneeling beside her oversized bed, and the room that was decked like the quarters of a princess, on her knees, hands pressed together, palms touching, and fingers pointing perfectly vertical toward heaven.
The nameless little girl’s head was bowed low to her chest as she prayed her prayer. Although the little girl in the book was somewhere around my age, I remember thinking her prayer was childlike… even for a child, yet I was enamored by the pictures and simple message.
The prayer was so simple; I, like most kids who’d ever read or heard it, memorized it immediately. While I already considered myself far beyond and more mature than the child in the book and the child’s prayer, I would read it over and over. Partly because it was catchy and rhymed, but partly because I liked it.
In my mind and heart I knew it was a basic beginner’s prayer with little theological structure, yet the prayer danced through my mind like a song… and after several decades… still does.
While there is truth to the facts surrounding the simple child’s prayer, truth doesn’t take into account the heart of those who might repeat the words or how God can use something so simple to do something miraculously profound. Those are the doctrinal truths that need to be shared with all people… starting with children.
Even though I can carry on a somewhat intelligent conversation of eschatology and Melchizedek, there is something comforting to my soul to repeat those childish words of my youth, “Now I lay me down to sleep… I pray the Lord, my soul to keep… If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
The simplest things always seem to be the most profound…even in eschatology and nursery rhymes…
Lynn Morrissey
Thursday, February 14, 2013 @ 8:17 pm
This is one of the most beautiful posts I’ve read, Floyd, by you or anyone else. What fresh metaphors–what simple, yet startling truths. I think I know that book. I know I know that prayer. I’m sure I know I’m grateful.
Lynn
Floyd
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 4:50 pm
Wow. Thanks, Lynn. I’m grateful as well, for God’s grace and many other gifts from Him… including your words and heart.
Hazel Moon
Thursday, February 14, 2013 @ 11:25 pm
My first prayers were “God bless mommie and daddy and my brother and sister. Now I lay me down to sleep was learned later and I taught it to our children. It is such a comfort to know we can go to sleep in peace and not be disturbed by the actions of the day, or the promise of more problems tomorrow. I am safe in God’s hands, for I have asked him to keep my soul safe in Him. I no longer pray that particular prayer, but I do sleep well in confidence knowing I am His.
This post is so beautiful!
Floyd
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 4:54 pm
Thank you, Hazel. You’re too good to me. There is comfort in acknowledging God and His sovereignty over our lives before we sleep. To know that our Father not only watches over us, but actually watches us is truly humbling. What a Father! Great point, Hazel!
bill (cycleguy)
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 4:58 am
So true Floyd. We tend to make the simple difficult. Praying is one of those things.
Floyd
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 4:56 pm
Amen, preacher! It is all about a thankful and humble heart… God is so good to us. Nice call, Bill.
Loren Pinilis
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 9:58 am
I read a little kids’ bible story book to my 4-year-old and 2-year-old almost daily. You have no idea how many times I’ve been reading them a story, boiled down to simple language and just the core concepts, and it brings tears to my eyes. There’s something so powerful in just the simple truths of scripture.
Floyd
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 5:00 pm
That’s exactly it, Loren! We get all high and mighty thinking too much of our thinking! It is with the faith and love of a child that we find the most wonderful moments with our Father. Good for you, dad. You’re great dad and a blessed man, Loren. Thanks for sharing that. I have the mental picture in my mind. It’s beautiful. The best things in life are in that picture.
Dan Black
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 10:40 am
It amazes me whenever I see a child’s faith, it’s so pure and simple. Great post Floyd!
Floyd
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 5:03 pm
I hear you, Dan. That’s how we need to approach our Father. We tend to try and do too much… All the peace and joy of a child we miss out on because we think too much of ourselves and intellect. Great call. Thanks, Dan.
Jillie
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 11:32 am
Hi Floyd! This is a lovely post. The simple prayers of a child must be the sweetest in God’s ear. I love the prayers of the tiny…and the new believer. So simple. Straightforward. Not all flowery and ‘rehearsed’. Just pure expressing of what’s in the heart.
However, I thought about this particular child’s prayer one day, and I think that perhaps it could also be somewhat scary to a little one—“If I should die before I wake…”? I know it’s not meant to frighten, but it could. Little children don’t want to think about dying and leaving Mommy and Daddy. Just a thought. I didn’t teach this particular prayer to my kids, but they did learn it somewhere along the way. It seems everybody does.
Floyd
Friday, February 15, 2013 @ 5:09 pm
I know! It’s universal I think! It seems like it should be scary to kids, but it never seemed to effect me or my sister that way? Of course where we lived at the time was really scary! I with you on the children or new believers. I had a friend one time that asked to pray over our meal right after he accepted Christ. He started it with, “Hey God?” It was beautiful. Thanks, Jillie. Have a great weekend.
Betty Draper
Saturday, February 16, 2013 @ 11:01 pm
Since I was 35 when I got saved so I learned those little children prayers along with my kid. The one prayer that came every time to my lips…thank God for saving my soul….good job brother, God’s gift is pouring out.
Floyd
Sunday, February 17, 2013 @ 2:06 pm
I love that simple prayer, Betty. I’ve had one since I was a child. It comes and goes, but it is part of my soul, “Thank you for loving me.” I’ve been saying it as long as I can remember. I think I might adopt your simple prayer too, Betty. It says it all. Thanks for pouring some of your gifts our here as well. You bring wisdom, honor, and blessings.
Hazel Moon
Monday, February 18, 2013 @ 9:03 pm
Thanks for entering this on “Tell Me a Story” http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
Floyd
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 @ 5:45 pm
Thanks for letting me share this at your wonderful site, Hazel!
Diane
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 @ 4:55 am
Floyd, you brought back my memories. That was my first prayer as I learned to read. My great Aunt had cross stitched it. It was never framed and the material was shredding at the edges. But, I would run my fingers over it as I prayed it. I think my eyes were open! At least until I learned it.
Thanks for this wonderful memory and your great writing.
As I was reading this post, my husband walked in the room and asked what I was doing. “Reading Floyd’s blog.” “Who’s Floyd.” “A guy in Arizono, who is a great writer!” “Nice.” He’s a man of few words.
Have a great day today, Floyd!
Floyd
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 @ 5:56 pm
Those are the sweetest of prayers… I can picture you as a kid reading and praying and running your hands along the stitching. What wonderful memories. It’s great to have similar memories ordained by God. No coincidence I’m sure. Thank you, Diane. Oh, and tell your husband that I’m almost over being jealous of his guitar he got for his birthday! (wait to tell him I’m only kidding!)
Joanne Norton
Friday, February 22, 2013 @ 4:13 pm
I kept thinking you were going to put a bit there that I would remember, not just the words, but the picture in my mind from a book I had when a young ‘un. AND, sometimes, thinking of dying before I wake, I’m excited to think of being in heaven before all the other daily walking-through stuff that hurts. [The worst part? Not having a chance to hug my hubby goodbye and having him find me “gone” in our bed. That would/could scare him too much!]
Anyhow, I enjoyed and recognized your story of the story. Thank you.
Floyd
Friday, February 22, 2013 @ 6:42 pm
You’ve taken some “stuff that hurts” this week literally, Joanne! I tried to find a picture of that old book, but came up short. I’m looking forward to the painless days too, Joanne. But you and I are far from done here, sister! Thanks, Joanne. Hope the healing comes quickly…