He is real.

 

The other night, after all the kids had been in bed at least thirty minutes, a sneaky nine year old came quietly up the stairs. This is a pretty frequent occurrence. Abbigail has always had a tough time falling asleep and will often come back up to ask a question, get a drink of water, etc. This time was different though. She had tears in her eyes. I asked her what was wrong and her reply was, 

"I was saying a prayer tonight and in my prayer, I asked Heavenly Father to help me know He is real. When I got done saying my prayer, I felt really happy and I started to cry."

She came over to the couch and sat down next to me. I told her that was a pretty neat experience. We talked about how that "happy feeling" she felt was the Holy Ghost. Then I asked what she thought that meant. She said, 

"I think it means Heavenly Father answered my prayer. He is real." 

I am so grateful for this beautiful daughter of mine. She is wise beyond her years and is such an example to me even at such a young age. I know Heavenly Father is real too. I know He knows and loves both Abbigail and me, individually and perfectly. I love Him and am grateful that He trusts me to raise his precious children. 

 She then told me, "I also prayed for the people in China. I prayed that their government can be more like the american government and also that they can chew gum. They're not allowed to chew gum." 

I wasn't sure that was all 100% accurate, so we called Aunt Savannah and had a little chat about Savannah and Collin's time spent in China teaching English. After talking with Savannah, Abbigail's anxiety for the people of China, went away and she went to bed. Did I mention how much I love this girl and her sweet, caring, heart? I do. I love her.