the keys, simple prayers, child-like faith and the maverick (no, this isn't a cs lewis novel although it may be as long as one)

aim told me a nice little story this week about caleb and keys. in our house, we have trouble keeping track of keys. one reason for this is that our boys love to go get our mail from our lock box mailbox. as a result, the keys don't always get put away after the mail has been retrieved and for all i know a few of our bills are out lying in the street somewhere. if you happen to see any of the bills in the street when you come to visit, feel free to pay them.

with missing keys comes bouts of frustration that unfortunately the little ones don't quite understand. have you ever wanted to open your mail box so badly to grab that stack of bills but you just can't because the keys are missing? it's an awful, awful feeling. it's also a feeling we experience around here all too often and each time the keys go missing we rhetorically ask the kids where the keys are knowing full well they haven't a clue... but we try.

the crux: i got a call the other day from aim explaining that the oft routine of attempting to go get the mail and not being able to get the mail due to missing keys had taken place that very day in the cooper household. the difference this time is that instead of asking the unanswerable question of "where, where, where are the keys?", caleb, whose sunday school teachers must have taught a lesson on prayer this past sunday, volunteered the idea of offering a prayer for some divine assistance in locating the missing keys. aimee, wanting to encourage simple acts of faith such as these within our children, agreed that this was a good idea and so it was done.

caleb offered the prayer because it was his turn (he usually insists that it is) and sure enough, not long after, the key was found behind our curtains. aim and cabes were surely pleased to have found the key and in effort to express their gratitude, aim suggested that they offer a prayer of thanks. thus, as already noted, caleb, with an "i got this, mom" type attitude offered the prayer, but instead of saying thank you the little guys exercised a little more faith and asked for some help in finding our second mail key. that's right, key #2. bet you didn't see that coming... bruce willis was dead the whole time and we have a second missing mail key. the difference is that caleb believed and asked for the ultimate helping hand.

before i continue, i need to provide some context and explain that it has been quite some time since i have seen two mail keys in the cooper household... in fact, i don't know if we've had two house keys since we first moved in. in the past, i would have thought it more likely to find my dad singing a solo while cleaning the toilets in an apron than finding our second mail key. i even think that aim thought lil' c was pushing his luck when he suggested prayer as the answer to our second missing key. but, like elijah, cabe's faith didn't waiver and, lo and behold, it was done thusly: the second key was found in the mailbox key hole.

having gone two for two, aim and caleb then felt it appropriate to offer up some thanks and so they sacrificed a couple of the pooping pigeons out back. just kidding. i apologize if any of you found that irreverant, i couldn't resist... i'm a maverick. seriously, cabes said one more prayer so as to not forget the source. turns out prayer was key in finding the keys (wasn't that cute?).

warning: aimee said this next part was pretty weak... you've been warned.

actually, i was also serious about being a maverick. i only bring this up because my last post elicited a comment from an old canadian friend of the family's. he's not old, but we've known this guy for a while now and the fact that he's canadian really has no bearing on this post i just like to country drop. so, our friend from the north posted a comment suggesting that guys maybe shouldn't blog. don't worry jentry, i've heard it all before, but i'm not ashamed of my blogging habits... i guess it's just because i'm a maverick.

i can't help it, it's in my maverick blood which i'm sure is not compatible with any other blood type except for maybe type m (i think jack bauer has type m blood and i am pretty sure he has a blog on 24's homepage). i sense that some of you aren't buying it... well, here's some evidence: i don't use proper capitalization when i post... how does that not scream rebel? plus, i went to unlv's law school whose mascot is the rebels. there you have it, i am a maverick.

i could go on, but i will spare ye. mavericks and childlike faith leading to keys. is there some hidden innuendo there? i'll let you decide. discuss.