RED OAK, Texas — Sometimes Rosie Aycock’s words are a little jumbled.
“God, be with the people who is at the doctor,” she said, kneeling in front of a neighbor’s house.
A few doors down she said, “Be with the people in this house do what they have to do.”
But there are times when her words come out perfectly.
And the message behind them is always as clear as can be.
Rosie is 4 years old. She lives with her grandmother and grandfather, Helen and David Aycock, in the Ellis County town of Red Oak about 20 miles south of downtown Dallas.
Helen knows Rosie doesn’t really understand the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic.
“She knows people can get sick if we get too close to them,” Helen said. “She’s just been really concerned about everybody staying healthy and safe.”
Rosie does understand she can’t play outside with neighbors. So, she’s figured out a way to let them know she’s still thinking of them.
Rosie and Helen squeeze into a miniature motorized pink jeep and circle their neighborhood with a Ziploc bag of sidewalk chalk.
They stop at each driveway, crouch down together, and ask for protection for their neighbors.
“Keep them safe from the coronavirus,” Rosie said at one home.
After each “amen,” Rosie draws a heart and writes her name.
Helen writes, ‘Prayed for you today.’
Every home in their subdivision has a note. Helen estimates that Rose has prayed for around 50 families.
“I know she doesn’t fully understand it at her age,” Helen said, “but we’ve raised her to pray and serve God above everything else.”
“If we don’t have faith in God right now, there’s not a lot left to find joy in,” Helen said. “God has a big plan.”
When asked why she prays for all her neighbors, Rosie’s simple answer is something we should all remember.
“Because I love them,” she said.
