Nick the Theologian

Every night when I tuck Nick into bed we say prayers. I read two from a prayer book for children, then Nick says the "Now I lay me" prayer. For those not familiar with the prayer it goes like this:

Now I lay me
down to sleep
I pray the Lord
My soul to keep

If I die
Before I wake
I pray the Lord
My soul to take

God bless everybody
Amen.

But recently he's taken the rote memory prayer and changed it. Usually he will switch the last words of the verses, making it:

Now I lay me
down to sleep
I pray the Lord
My soul to take

If I die
Before I wake
I pray the Lord
My soul to keep

God bless everybody
Amen.

Besides messing up the rhyme pattern, it unwittingly brings up an interesting point. Just when does your soul belong to God? By switching the words the first verse offers his soul to God and the second prays that God will not simply discard his soul upon death. Very deep.

Of course, this completely flies over his head. He's just doing it to mess with me.