The FAITH Bucket...

Today was a beach day.  Had a great time, played really hard, enjoyed some great fellowship with some other moms and then it was time to pack up and head home.  We washed our feet, loaded the car, refilled sippy cups and put towels under our wet tushes and made our way to the house all to find out that after everything was unloaded, we had forgotten our buckets.  Emma Jane's buckets.  Along with a very cherished purple mermaid.  I knew that a trip to CVS later in the week would replace all that was forgotten, but when I saw her worried face and her disappointment, what did we do?  We did as any mother would... we loaded ourselves back in the car, wet bathing suits and all, and drove back towards the beach. 

Immediately after getting in the car, I found myself giving Miss Emma Jane the "mom speech."   You know how it goes...How you have to learn how to keep up with your stuff and how when you are a big girl and mommy ask you to carry something you have to not sit it down and how it was probably gone...  Sometimes we mom's just need a good nudge to hush!  I got one.  I stopped talking when I saw the expression on her face.  She was already disappointed at the fact that she had left her belongings and she didn't need me to remind her.  I suddenly felt the need to pray.  So I prayed...

"Dear Jesus, please take care of Emma Jane's buckets and keep them there at the beach.  In Jesus Name we pray."

The second I finished praying I turned around in the seat to say the words "I hope your buckets are still there," but something stopped me.  I literally thought to myself at that very moment... this is a FAITH builder.  So instead of dampening her child like faith, I said... Your buckets will be there.  Then I immediately turned back to the road and prayed... Please, Lord let her buckets be there!  I think I prayed this the whole way back to the beach.

There at the end of the sidewalk... laid 3 buckets,1 purple mermaid and a very excited little girl in the backseat.  I put the buckets in the back, got back in the car and heard the words, "Jesus got my buckets!!"

What FAITH she had?!  It was simple really.  We prayed the prayer and then she believed.  I could have ruined that with countless reasons on why those buckets were probably not going to be there... for all I knew I had probably backed over them with my car!  But that "nudge" that stopped me mid-sentence, the Holy Spirit, just jump started my child's faith and taught me a very valuable lesson.

To pray with buckets full of faith and wait in expectation for your answer.  He WILL answer you.

~ Psalms 5:3