Backyard Miracle

The other day, Norah found a caterpillar on our front porch as we were walking in the door. It was black, plump, and fuzzy all over. The girls were drunk with glee. They named her "Catty."

The girls took it into the backyard where they tortured (ahem, I mean, played) with the little caterpillar until about 15 minutes later when Norah ran inside the house clearly distraught. I looked at her face and thought something must be terribly wrong."What's the matter?" I asked, getting more and more concerned by her furrowed little brow.

"I lost Catty," she said. "I put her on a little bush and then she dropped off. I looked all around the ground where she dropped and I couldn't find her- which is strange, because caterpillars are usually slow. How could she have gotten away?" Yeah...she really said that. I tried not to laugh because she was still crying.

Just then Avery ran back in the house and said, "Norah, let's pray that we find another caterpillar." Norah looked up at me and said, "You pray, Mom."

So, I mustered up a little prayer, "Dear God, please help Norah and Avery find another caterpillar. Or, if they cannot find another caterpillar - then, please help them to be at peace knowing that you will turn Catty into a beautiful butterfly." I had no faith. I was quite pleased with my little prayer and I thought for sure it would suffice. But, Avery piped in, "No, you prayed wrong. I don't want you to say 'if they can't find the caterpillar.' I'll do it."

So, she prayed her own little prayer. She closed her little eyes, put her chubby little arm around Norah, and they both bowed their little sweaty heads and she said, "Dear God and Jesus, please help us find another caterpillar to play with. Norah is sad. Amen."

They ran outside fully expecting to find another caterpillar. And, I admit, I was worried I'd have some explaining to do when they came back in the house empty-handed. But not more than 30 seconds later they rushed inside and said, "Look! Look! We found another caterpillar." It was a tiny, long, thin, green, hairless, caterpillar. "God heard us!" they exclaimed jumping up and down and passing the poor thing back and forth in their grubby little palms.

Now, you may be thinking that it's spring, and it's caterpillar season, and that this was just a coincidence. And that God has bigger fish to fry (or caterpillars to torture). And that two little girls just happened to find another caterpillar to play with. I am usually of the same mindset.

But, if you had been there, you'd be as certain as we are. It was our very own little backyard miracle. And we felt joy.