Our three year old son is a fix-it man.  A chip off the ol’ Bob the Builder block.  Every morning he gets up and puts his tool belt on.  Got a leaky faucet?  Not a problem.  Our son is on the job.  Need to lay cable wiring?  A. would shout, “Can we fix it? Yes we can!”

Three year olds pick up on everything, even when you think they are in the other room building skyscrapers out of couch pillows.

Earlier today, Brian and I were in the kitchen talking about the miners in Chile who are trapped in a mine that caved in.  We were in shock about how long it would take to get them out, we wondered how the 33 of them would cope until they were saved, and we thought of the families waiting with anxious hearts.

Fast forward to tonight’s bedtime prayers:

<Prayers started as usual.>

Dad: “What would you like to thank God for tonight?”

A.: “Umm…U and mom and my baby sister.”

Dad: “What would you like to say sorry to God for?”

A.: “For saying you’re a bad dad.”

Dad: “ Ahhh, thanks, A.”

Dad: “Is there anything else you’d like to pray to God for?”

<Here’s where A. took dad by surprise.>

A.: “For the workers helping the miners.” <pause. pause.> “Daddy, why’s it going to take so long to get them out?”

<here’s where the tears started – dad’s>

Dad: “Welllll, they are very far down under ground and it’s going to take awhile to dig down to them.”

A: <sits straight up> “Well, I could help!  I could bring my shovel and my excavator and my digger!!!  I could help!” <full of complete confidence that he and his equipment could ‘get the job done.’>

Dad: <tears now softly falling, hugging A.> “I love you, A.  I totally love you.”