What Makes You Cheer?

“We’re having ‘pupcakes’ for the party,” my six-year-old niece announced.

“Do you mean ‘cupcakes’?”

“No Auntie Laura, look, they’re ‘pupcakes’.” Zoe’s dark eyes sparkled and danced with excitement as she pointed to the dining room table where a large platter of cupcakes had magically been transformed, through the artful administration of frosting and candy, into little doggies.

In the living room presents waited to be opened, but first we had to eat lunch.  A formality for sure, I thought to myself remembering how hard it was to wait for things when I was six years old.

Zoe climbed onto a stool at the end of the table, and we bowed our heads so that dad could say grace.

How many times had I heard this prayer – the one that ends with a request for a special blessing on the birthday person? How comfortably routine it had become.

As the prayer began to wrap up, I couldn’t help myself. With my head leaned against my folded hands, I looked at Zoe and was astonished at what I saw. As her name was mentioned, a smile crossed her face and her small arms began to pump up and down in a victory cheer. Grandpa was praying just for her, and she might as well have been shouting, “That’s right God, bless me!”

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve thought often of Zoe and her enthusiasm over a prayer said on her behalf.

How is it that I’ve let prayer become routine? When someone prays for me, they are asking the God of this universe, my creator, to bless me!

Last Sunday, a friend told me, “Laura, I prayed for you today.”

I realized I was smiling; and although I didn’t raise my arms in triumph, I cheered on the inside.

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