This morning as I poured water into the coffee maker I prayed for my daughters. I prayed naturally for their safety and health, but I also interceded for their futures.
I pray they grow in grace, beauty, and strength of character, but more importantly in relationship with you.
As I petitioned the Lord for their future, and prayed they would grow with a desire to seek His face, I was hit by the enormity of my position as their mother. In all reality they were God’s children yet He had entrusted them to my care. He had given me the lofty responsibility of raising kingdom kids, and I felt humbled and honored all at the same time.
But I also felt lacking.
I pray I do well.
I thought of the many times the previous week I had lost my temper, or even uttered things I did not mean. I remembered my lack of organization skills, time management, and wondered how many poor examples I had dropped haphazardly along the way. I had probably fouled it up something fierce, and I just hoped they wouldn’t remember.
The fact was, though, that the Lord had placed those girls into my life. He knew each one before she was even formed in my womb, and He knew every particularly difficult trait they would possess. He knew which child would be the overachiever, the underdog, or the sensitive one. He knew who’d be the whiner, the hugger, or the independent soul. He knew each and every challenge, and He also knew I would be up for it. He knew me, and He had placed within me the ability to respond appropriately and gently to each and every specific need that was required. And when I missed the mark? Grace. Abundant, wonderful grace. Hallelujah.
In my life as a mother He gave me strength, wisdom, and multiplying patience. In my life as a wife He gave me overflowing and unconditional affection and the desire to serve. In all the many professional and relationship roles in my life He has gifted me with exactly what it takes to do well.
So when,
I pray I do well
I am also believing that I can because the Lord has made me for such a time as this, so that even when I feel like I am lacking, I can remember that He is enough. He is my portion, and He has and will continue to give me the strength I require. And when I fall, there is grace. Great, glorious grace, and mercy that is new every morning.
Now if I can just remind myself of this always…
Dave Parsons says
You’re so blessed Brie to acknowledge at your age now that God has to be your go to source! As we read in His word, His grace is sufficient! I wish I would of started at your age putting God at the center of my life as I was helping my wife raise our two girls! Thankfully my wife accepted the Lord as Savior while our girls were still young and her time of raising our girls sounds very similar to yours! I was not a bad dad but could of been more of a spiritual influence had I not been so stubborn at doing what I knew I needed to do and of course that was humbling myself to His guidance in my life! I admire a parent like you so much who acknowledges their limitations and failures & through God’s help gets back up and uses those failing moments to teach their kids that all of us struggle with moments of anger, frustration and every thing satan can try to trip us with and our kids will see how we are trying to do what God wants us to by saying I’m sorry & mommy is learning also to trust God to do the right thing and He is always there to forgive a humble and repentant heart! Those kids watch, hear and learn so much about what it means to be a parent that has faults but also a parent that is moving toward being more like Jesus!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you so much! Love reading your comment as always. 🙂
Dave Parsons says
Our oldest granddaughter and her husband are two of the finest examples I know personally that strive to put God first in their marriage and as parents of two small munchkins! I love to tell them how much I admire their family structure with Jesus at the helm! I tell other young couples I see on an occasional basis who are striving as you are to be a Godly example to their kids! That is why I admire your thoughts above because they fall right into that area I call “a light” and that light is Jesus in the neighborhood, church, at work and wherever you go of a Godly family! Oh Lord, give us more young families like yours and my granddaughters! Praise God!
I’m sorry to write such lengthy replies! I struggle to vocalize my feelings as I don’t speak out much face to face! I suppose I don’t project well with my voice face to face as it seems others speak better than me but I do love to write and can express my thoughts so much better on paper or computer or even behind a microphone if I can’t see faces! Haha! I was in radio for a portion of my “young man” life and especially Christian radio in Orlando after I got off at Disney in the evenings! I could talk well on a mike! Strange but that’s me! Here I go writing more! Sorry!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
I understand. I speak better writing too.