Boo is a letter writer.
She has been writing encouraging notes to friends and family as long as I can remember. It’s somehow hard-wired into her brain. As a toddler, she would sit thoughtfully with crayons and construction paper and make careful squiggles across the page. She'd spend plenty of time making sure she got everything "just right." Then she would proudly bring us her paper and translate for us the “notes” she had written to her cousins or grandmother or friends.
After she learned the alphabet, Boo’s letter-writing morphed into painstaking, letter-by-letter dictation.
“Mama, I’m writing a letter to Gran," she would inform me. "How do you spell ‘Dear Gran’?”
Sigh. "D-E-A-R . . ." I'd begin.
“Wait! Go slower, Mama! What comes after E?” she'd interrupt, crayon poised.
It would take an exasperatingly long time, but together we’d eventually work our way through, letter by letter, her special messages for loved ones.
Thankfully, she learned how to read at an early age (which was a h
uge blessing from God, considering those dark months when we weren’t sure if she’d be able to see, much less read, after a virus inexplicably attacked her eyes and she developed glaucoma at age three. But that’s another story for another day). So by age four, Boo was happily penning her own greetings to loved ones on a regular basis. Some of her letters were mailed, some were given to friends and neighbors and teachers, and still others decorated our refrigerator. Suffice it to say, our house suffers no lack of notes from Boo.
uge blessing from God, considering those dark months when we weren’t sure if she’d be able to see, much less read, after a virus inexplicably attacked her eyes and she developed glaucoma at age three. But that’s another story for another day). So by age four, Boo was happily penning her own greetings to loved ones on a regular basis. Some of her letters were mailed, some were given to friends and neighbors and teachers, and still others decorated our refrigerator. Suffice it to say, our house suffers no lack of notes from Boo. 
So last Monday, as I was clearing off the coffee table in our upstairs game room to be able to use it as my work desk (note to self: I need an office), I was not surprised in the least to find it cluttered with an assortment of construction paper, scissors, glue, crayons, and markers, residuals of the girls’ spontaneous craft time earlier that morning. As I neatly stacked the pile of papers and sorted them into clean-enough-to-use-again versus toss-this-in-the-trash, out of curiosity (and downright mommy nosiness) I peeked to see what kinds of things Boo had written that morning.Here’s what I found (minus her name):
Regardless of which candidate you supported for president (which is beside the point here), I was struck by how Boo’s simple note to her first-grade teacher had the ring of truth to it.
No matter who is in the White House, God will help us.
"I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1 ESV; emphasis added).
Whether you are elated or disapointed over the outcome of last Tuesday's election, you can rest assured that God was sovereign on November 4. His perfect plan (whatever that may be) was accomplished.
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings" (Daniel 2:20-21 ESV; emphasis added).
And now, as citizens of our great nation and servants of the King of kings, we have the privilege and duty to pray for Barack Obama as he becomes the leader of the free world.
"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior" (1 Timothy 2:1-3 ESV; emphasis added).
And as we kneel to pray for our nation and our president, we can pray with confidence, knowing that our good and loving God will hear and answer our prayers.
"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes" (Proverbs 21:1 NKJV).
Because no matter who is in the White House, God will help us.
That's absolutely right, Boo.
P.S. For those of you who are keeping up with JJ’s unending questions, here are a few she’s asked in the past few days:
- “Why don’t people eat apple cores? Why do we eat pumpkin seeds but not apple seeds?”
- “How do you hear God? When I pray, I don’t hear Him talk.”
- “What happens if you mix gasoline and water?”
- “What is toothpaste made out of?”
- “What’s the opposite of green?”
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