Unexpected Sacred Places

As it makes it’s way to school like it does every morning,

our shiny little GMC Acadia, 
with homework laying on the back seat, a crunchy french fry on the floor, and 4 bottles of water in the back row, 
does what it's supposed to do. 
It gets us here and there. Comfortably and efficiently. 
Rushing out the door in the morning to get Ava to school on time. 
Pulling in the driveway after a long day of work. 
Sitting in the drive thru at Chick-fil-A. 
Our family vehicle is as much a part of our lives as our home is. 

Lately I'm noticing however that our trusty little suv becomes something it was never made to be. 

The seats become pews. Filled with song. Beautiful songs sung by 4 and 5 year old girls about the God of angel armies. Songs sung by a 7 year old about how holy and faithful our God is. Songs that echo off the fingerprint laced windows.

We sing.

And sometimes we listen. 

I watch the morning cars and they look out the windows, still pushing sleep from their eyes.

There is silence in the back seat and then my seven-year-old looks up and repeats what she learned in children's church on Sunday morning.

"I have peace when I am afraid because I trust in God." 

Without prompting she has renewed my faith. Instantly. 

God spoke to me, through my toothless 7 year old. 

On a different day, 

the deep thoughts of a four-year-old take root then spill form her mouth.

“Mama, I think that God…” and she fills the space with distinctly true theology but framed in the words of a curly haired little girl who still mixes up her "e" and "i" when writing her name.

They ask questions. About thunder. About the trees. 
About friends that move away. 

About little Ethan in heaven with Jesus.

“I don’t know the answer to that, ” I sometimes say. 

And then I think on these things. Things that are true, honest, fair and pure.  And I know they do the same.

We have church on bucket seats and worship behind the windows of the car. We invite God among the goldfish cracker crumbs and books. We make an unexpected sacred place.