Our two granddaughters, Faith and Mary Kathryn love to play with their Barbie dolls. Together they spend many hours imitating the scenes of life as they know it. Often, I hear them talking to one another and to the Barbies as they feed them, read them stories, and pray with them while pretending they are putting them in bed. School time is a favorite. Make-believe teachers and students in a classroom setting are acted out, much like their own busy days at school.

I had been trying to teach them that when they are through playing or ready to go somewhere, the Barbies go back in the toy boxes. 

After they were dressed for church Sunday morning, I heard them out in the playroom talking and singing with the Barbies. Just before they were ready to walk out the door, eleven year-old Faith came to me and asked, "Grandma, can we leave the dolls out? We will all be returning from church at the same time." Without totally grasping what she was saying and realizing they were already running late I hurriedly told her that it would be OK this time. 

I was recuperating from recent major surgery and still not mobile enough to go to church. So, while everyone else in the house was gone, I settled myself in to watch our worship services on the local TV channel. For some reason during the services I thought about Faith saying their Barbie dolls were at church. Remembering what Faith had said touched my heart, and I decided to go see what she had been trying to tell me.

Tears of joy came to my eyes!

There in the middle of the playroom sat a whole congregation of Barbies! Just like they were at church. A daddy had his arm around the mother. Barbie's little sister was pretending to be a toddler seated next to her mother. Then it looked like several teenagers were sitting together. All in rapt attention. Anyone could tell they were listening intently to what the minister was saying. I loved it!

I prayed those two young granddaughters would always know that is where God would have them on Sunday morning. In church, praising and worshiping Him.