Do you ever have experiences that just melt your heart? Experiences that reduce you to a puddle of emotion? I had one about a month ago.

On most evenings our family of three sits down to have dinner together at the table.  (A practice I hope we are able to continue even as our son grows up and schedules inevitably become busier.)  As we sit down, either my husband or I offers a short(!) blessing, a prayer of thanks for the meal we share, for our family, for our day or some similar thanksgiving. It is a simple practice, but about a month ago as we sat down to eat, for the first time our young son thrust out both his tiny little hands, one in my direction and one in my husbands, and said, “Pray”. With a great grin on his face his little fingers clasped ours, we said a short prayer, and after ‘amen’ my son cheered and clapped. What great joy! (And my heart proceeded to melt!)

Now, I know we cannot take full credit for his delight or insistence that we pray – there are others in his life that are teaching and reinforcing this (thank you church!). But this little, holy moment did remind me that these small practices matter. The simple pause before a meal together is in some small (or perhaps larger) way impacting the faith formation of my little one. And if I’m being completely honest, it is also impacting my continuing faith formation as an adult.

I am grateful for the time we share together as a family. I am grateful for even the small ways I am able to share my faith with my son. I am grateful for his joy. And I am grateful for the reminder of God’s never-ending presence in my life through the grasp of one little hand.