When David Handley was a young father, he came home one day to find his wife discouraged over the behavior of one of their small children. As he tried to console his wife, both girls came running into the kitchen screaming, crying and accusing one another of doing “the baddest thing first.”

David tried to calm them down, but with little success. Then, grateful that it was time for bath and bed, he started the process, still hearing accusations and yelling.

Finally, he helped them say their prayers and still frustrated with them, he looked for a quiet place to reflect about the children and his role as a father.

He said that he thought of the troubles they would one day face, hurts, perhaps rejection, maybe failure, temptations they would encounter. He wondered if they would have a genuine faith in God, and if they would be able to face life’s challenges. He wondered about how he and his wife were raising them.

Fifteen minutes went by and he decided to check up on them. He found one in deep sleep, breathing quietly and peacefully on her pillow. The other was still awake, lying there, facing the wall and singing a song. He listened carefully and this is what he heard:

Everybody give thanks to God.
God is great and God is good!
Everybody give thanks today.
Alleluia! God is love.
Everybody with a joyful heart
Sing a song of praise to God.

He slipped away quietly, with a deep joy in his heart. He felt the Word was getting through. The seeds of godliness were growing. With God’s continual help, all would be fine.