Rebecca's Prayer

Rebecca looked out her window at the star filled night sky. She loved all the tiny twinkling little points of light. There must be millions. The moon shone bright on the cotton field and looked so beautiful. But something weighed heavy, troubled, her little heart. It had been for a while, and she’d been thinking hard on it. She tiptoed back to her bed, knelt on the braided rag rug, and pressing her hands together beneath her chin, bowed her head.

            “Dear God, I know you’re my daddy since I don’t have one, Mama said. But that’s what I want to talk to you about. All my friends have a daddy who lives with them, and I want one of those, too. I want a daddy to carry me on his shoulders, and you can’t do that. And I really want a daddy to take me fishing. Oh, and to help Mama, too, because she has to do everything all by herself, and she needs lots of help. She really does then maybe she won’t get so mad and be so tired all the time.

          "Oh, yes, thank You for her, she’s the best mother and I love her very much. Thank You for our house and Ol’ Betsy and her new baby. He’s very cute, and I wish we didn’t have to eat him when he gets big. And thank you for the rain, too. That made Mama very glad and happy. Thank you for my friends Sophia Belle and Sassy and let me play with them again real soon. And I guess thank you for Levi, too, even if I don’t like him always trying to be the boss of me.” She opened one eye and peeked up at the ceiling. “And You know he ain’t.”

            “And that’s another reason I need a daddy so bad; on account of Levi always telling me what to do. Now I’d mind a daddy, God. So that’s what I want more than anything else in the whole world. If you will please send me a one, I promise I’ll be very good. I’ll always do my chores and eat all my peas and never hit Levi anymore. In Jesus name, amen.”

            She jumped up, climbed in between her sheets, and snuggled into her feather pillow looking out the window. The breeze blew the curtain into her room. Oh no! She forgot something! Back onto her knees in one smooth motion, she touched her chin with her fingertips again. “Forgot something, God. I want him to be very nice and smile and laugh all the time and not to holler and to buy me candy. And a real doll, I’d like a real doll like Sassy’s. That’s all. Thanks, Lord.”
            Cuddled into her bed, she couldn’t quit smiling. Her Daddy would be coming soon, any day now. Mama was going to be so surprised. She closed her eyes and a sweet peace swaddled her as she took a little trip to Sleepy Town, but she never stopped smiling.