If you ask him into your heart this year He will write your name on the mighty palm of his hand.

Ever since we met JJ - and even before - JJ has been a watcher.

She reacts to new or stressful situations by pausing and watching and watching until she decides whatever is going on is safe.  Sometimes this is a good thing  . . . but then. . . .sometimes not.

No, I don't want to swing.  

When we were getting ready to move JJ to her current Montessori school we visited the annual Christmas show.  JJ took one look at all the singing on stage, then looked at me and said "I want to do that".

That was over 3 years ago - and she never has participated in one of the musicals.  She has been on stage, but completely frozen in place every time.

Now, we don't actually care if JJ is a great singer and dancer.  But we do care that fear was keeping her from trying something she was interested in.

This Christmas we were ready to skip it all.  We have (another) slab leak.and our plate is honestly pretty full.  But the school secretary called Mr. M.  She is a pro at parent wrangling and somehow we found ourselves at the Christmas pageant with JJ and Josie taking their place on stage.  Josie was dressed in Christmas red - JJ was dressed in a black costume as Ms. Fitch the costume designer.

This years show was about a spelling bee with the subject being the many names of God.  The show started and Josie did what Josie always does, singing along and doing all the hand motions.  JJ stands quiet and motionless in the back looking so small up with the 1st to 5th grade kids.  She is the little kid this year.  I have an eye on Josie to be sure she is not getting too tired, and JJ is just behind her.

 Half way through I notice TWO of my daughters singing and doing the hand motions.  Well Well!  Then - at the very end - a tiny girl in a black costume darts out of the last row and to the microphone and announces, clear and bright, "If you ask him into your heart this year he will write your name on the mighty palm of his hand."

Her teachers must have worked and worked with her to give her the confidence to do this.  And they wanted to be sure she had her chance.  If I say so myself, she was brilliant.

AND the next day. . . Josie followed JJ's good advice.

We were sitting and talking and suddenly Josie pipes up "I wish I could be in heaven when I die - with Annie (oh how she misses that cat).  I asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart so she could go to heaven.  She did.  We prayed.

If you ask Him into your heart this year he will write your name on the mighty palm of his hand.

Such good advice.