A Story of Hope

This week’s post is a true story submitted by Barb Culler. It was originally published on her blog so feel free to pop over and have a look there as well.

Be inspired by how much these children can understand and achieve …

Every Sunday morning, I shadow a special needs child so that his family can attend the service. My young friend loves music so we are able to sit through the beginning worship time, but then he needs to have a different activity when the preaching starts. “David” is 11, but his disability results in poor social awareness so we go to our classroom for one on one time.

Our weekly program is to sing along with CD’s of old time Sunday School songs, and to the AWANA Cubbies level CD and workbook. David can read, and loves to sing, although he has limited verbal skills, and like me, cannot carry a tune. David likes to start at the beginning of the Cubbies book, and we sing our way through the modified Bible verses set to music.

There is one song that reads: “Lord, teach us to pray, Lord, teach us to pray. Mark 11:1”

When David sings this verse, he says “Lord, teach us to PRAISE, Lord, teach us to PRAISE…”

Every week, I ponder the simple truth of that request. During worship in the sanctuary, David unabashedly sings, moves his uncoordinated body into claps, and sometimes raises his arms in Praise. His family believes that deep inside him, he understands about God and I agree. David intuitively knows how to enter into worship, and is not embarrassed to express how he understands praise to God.

Oh that we could be so child-like in our worship to God, and not feel embarrassed by how we sound or look.

Lord, teach ME to Praise!