It was inspired by a fortuitous occurrence over twenty years before the book itself found concrete expression. But it needed to come anyway, for it was the only way to bring sanity to the troubled mind of Esther Nanko Domyil, Pastor, Counsellor and author of Grace for Each Day.
Within the covers of this book, therefore, lies an effort which defies tradition in its choice of audience and style of writing. Yet, the writer is able to establish an effective line of communication which can only be by what she ascribes to “divine inspiration”.
Designed for infants, Grace for Each Day is not structured in line with the conventional book format that is set apart by winding grammar, wordy paragraphs or long chapters. In bold typeface, short and sharp phrases, Bible passages and prayers are found on each of its 365 pages and these are expected to be inscribed on the minds of the infants as they are read out to them every day of the 365 days of the year.
The author rationalizes the idea of a book for infants this way: “There is no better time to begin to teach the word of truth to our own children than when their souls are pure and the table of their hearts plain”. According to her, it all began when “the Lord helped me more than twenty years ago to understand the difference between speaking the word of God to a child from day one of birth and doing that when the child is older.”
The book comes in crisp, catchy colors that easily appeal to the sensuality of the child. But it is the regimentation of the routine that tends to impede the task at hand. But the author does not leave the reader to their fate. A veteran in child training, she provides a guide for effective usage of the book in order to ensure maximum impact.
Under ‘How to Use It’, the user is enjoined to find a suitable time for the activity, be it morning, afternoon or evening; be consistent with it; and ensure that the child is not distracted by sleep, discomfort or hunger. Additionally, she admonishes that the atmosphere for prayer must be created because “you are in the presence of God Almighty.”
In anticipation of moments of exasperation that this novel exercise is wont to engender, the author suggests that a “deliberate” attitude should be adopted in speaking with the child. And where she makes a passage incomplete, she provides a dash, then implores you to insert in the blank the name(s) of the child(ren) as you read it out.
Acknowledging the centrality of love in the relationship between God and His creation, the author makes this virtue the thematic concern of her work. From both the old and new testaments of the Holy Bible, where her messages are taken, Grace for Each Day is awash with God’s love for the child for whom in any case the book is written. But more than that, the book offers the chance “to find true love at infancy.”
No doubt an uncharted endeavor, the book carries a message that is intended for homes, hospitals, orphanages and, indeed, anywhere infants for whom we seek a loving relationship with God can be found. An essential addition to devotionals as a genre of spiritual literature, Grace for Each Day is billed for public presentation/dedication on Sunday, May 21, 2023, at the Shekinah Global Gospel Ministries, Abattoir, Jos.
