Thank God

I love praying together with Elias just before he goes to sleep.  I thank God aloud for various things and he enthusiastically adds to the list.  It's not something I "taught" per se, but he has always chimed in on his own.  It just makes my heart melt, and brings to a focus the purity of such prayers to the Father. The most common expressions of gratitude are for beans, white horses, brown horses, and songs.  Others are books, TV, broccoli, various people he knows, Simon (the cat), chickens, outside, and my favorite, Mommy.  Then he might top it off with "God keeps us safe!"  Amen!  Last night he added a new one:  Eee-pee-yo-ya. We thank God for what?  Eee-pee-yo-ya.  Hmm--oh!  Ethiopia?  Vigorous head nodding:  Eee-pee-yo-ya.  Yes!  We thank God for Ethiopia!

Besides being blown away by how terribly endearing and cute it is to hear him pray about "Eepeeyoya", I was also surprised, since I've rarely mentioned Ethiopia to him (although I did point it out on a world map yesterday).  Most nights I do remember Ethiopia and the people and situation around his coming to me, but that's in my own prayer time.  I was convicted a little to "share Ethiopia" more with him.  Plus of course it's a good reminder to always keep his birth country in our prayers.