Evan's nap

i thought i would spend some time sharing miracles about the children i have worked with over the 20 + years i was in child development/education.
Evan was a great little guy who had trouble keeping still and paying attention. There had not been a formal diagnosis but i surmised there was some adhd going on along with other stuff. He was in my 4 year old classroom at the little private preschool where i taught for a couple of years.
Naptime was a big opportunity for my learning patience. we had small mats that we placed on the floor with blankets and pillows for the children to rest upon for an hour and a half. Evan was not the only child who took a long while to go to sleep or even settle down. i understand that. i relate to it. and i loved my students.
after trying several different discipline methods to help him i hit upon a real miracle one day as i sat beside his mat, patting his back gently. it came to me to just speak. what came out was a prayer of sorts.
"Christ within me. Christ beside me. Christ behind me. Christ in front of me. Christ above me. Christ below me. Christ be with me." There is a song we sing at church that brought this little memory back...it is "Christ Surround Me", and it basically says those same words.
as i repeated the mantra, Evan began to learn the words and would say it as best he could with me. then one day as we said it softly together, he drifted off to sleep. for a while this was the one way to get him to be calm and to rest. just a few simple words.
when i forgot one day to perform our ritual, Evan reminded me "Ms Linda, you forgot Christ!"
i love the mouths and hearts of babes. +