Sophies Prayer

My daughter was born with my brain. It refuses to let go of things as well as analyzes and photo-copies things to near perfection. If that sounds like bragging, believe me, it's more of a curse than a blessing at times.
The other night I was so proud of her as she wanted to respond to an altar call on her own. She told mom she wanted to go pray. I accompanied her, and when we knelt asked her what she wanted to pray about. She said she wanted to pray for Nanny and Papa and Grandma. I asked her why and she said, "cause Grandma's really old". Although funny on the outset, i marveled at her ability to relate old age and frailty to the need of prayer. Often, we as mature adults grow tired and weary at what we feel is overexposure to simple need, but as a child, she knew it as the initial response. Out of the mouths of babes...
There was something else that broke my heart as she prayed. I marvel again because the following was a part of her "freestyle" prayer that I allowed to her to quote. She prayed at the end, "and I pray that mommy and daddy never grow old." Where did that come from? Here is what I learn from Sophie's prayer:

1) Our built-in dependency. Sophie understands at her young age that if mommy and daddy grow old she will begin to lose us. Maybe i look to far into it, but why even bring old age up? Although she sees herself locked in 5-year old time, it is that time locj that is teaching her that she cant live without us. We are locked in time. We are locked in time and space that often abuses us and cramps our ability to grow. But instead of complaining about the time crunch, we should let it teach us the lesson it has already taught my daughter, we need God.

2) The hope of eternity. I began to think of how Sophie's prayer has really already been answered. Through Christ, we never really grow old. I will never forget this version of John 3:16 i read in the CEV Bible so long ago:
"God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die."
The former lesson had more to do with what Sophie knew that often look over. This second lesson has more to do with what i hope she learns, that she hasn't yet. God made us eternal in the beginning, and desires we return to that state. He has made that possible.
Sophie's prayer is a challenge to me and I thank her for it. She is perfect in more ways than one and in all the teachers I have ever listened to, her and my son continue to teach me the most. Thank you God for my children.