By JMathis

Every night, our nighttime ritual is the same. My daughter and I snuggle and pray; I wind her down by telling her stories of when I was a little girl, when daddy was a little boy, when she lived in my tummy, what our doggy in heaven might be doing at this very moment with Jesus (playing catch, Mama? eating popsicles? chasing lizards together?). 

She is tucked in and then we read the same story each night: “How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?”, by Varsha Bajaj. Every page introduces a different kind of baby animal being put to bed by either a mommy or a daddy animal, which leads to the mommy/daddy animal asking the baby animal, “How many kisses do YOU want tonight?” As each page turns, the number of kisses rise…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and last of all, 10!

You think this is the end, but wait…we then are introduced to a human child who boldly asks for, “100!” As if this wasn’t enough to end the book, there is just one more child, who jubilantly and confidently asks for it all: “1,000,000!!”

While it is never stated or pictured, it is certainly implied on every page, that not only is each child entitled to the number of kisses of her heart’s desire, but that she actually gets the number of kisses that she asks for from her mommy or daddy.

So, today I pose this question to you who are tired, overworked, frazzled, stressed, beat-down, furious with your little boy who sneaks cookies into bed, down-trodden and choked by the worries and sorrows of life:

“How many kisses do YOU want tonight?”

Abba Father is ready to tuck you in and receive you into His sweet and peaceful rest.  

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Good night and sweet dreams.