That They Would Know Their Father’s Love For Them
That They Would Know Their Father’s Love For Them
I’m so helpless,
Vulnerable to meet every need.
My heart bleeds for them, yearns for them, dreams for them.
I long to protect them and lead them,
Engage them and listen to them,
Help them grow up and navigate life.
I long to cover them with my love,
But better yet, the Father’s Love.
I love to know their quirks and see their playfulness,
How they sing with headphones on,
How they erupt into uninhibited dance moves,
How they discover humor and tell their own jokes,
How their personalities and unique preferences come out.
I love their curiosity and seeing them discover new things,
How they marvel at the minutia of life,
How they inquire and posit deeper questions than I’d expect,
How they love to consume stories and knowledge,
How they aren’t afraid to try new things and figure things out.
I love seeing them develop,
How they learn ways to cope with frustration and anger,
How they learn how to listen and love others,
How they become more responsible every day,
How they layer learning and are starting to sit with nuance.
I love seeing them grow,
How their coordination and dexterity improves,
How they fill out their clothes,
How they can eat with a bottomless stomach,
How they are taking the form of little men.
I love watching them play and create,
How they push and compete until they’re red in the face,
How they bound around with limitless energy,
How they construct crafts and art,
How they make up books and stories.
I love watching them love others,
How they speak a kind word of encouragement to a teammate,
How they observe me in a difficult moment and give me a hug,
How they care for and share with friends,
How they seek to include younger brothers and tenderly care for one another’s hurts.
I love seeing them understand God’s love for them and His creative works,
How they regularly remember that Mommy’s in heaven,
How they claim to love God and Jesus,
How they trust God is good and kind,
How they enjoy Bible stories and songs.
I hope…
That they’d become kind, responsible, humble men,
That they’d learn who they are and what they want in life,
That they’d contribute to the Common Good,
That they’d find meaningful and lasting love one day.
My dream for them is to know Jesus, to find Him beautiful and worth following
And that they’d pursue life in all of its fullness and joy,
That they’d love others, dignify image bearers, and not take from anyone,
That they’d develop lives of prayer and repentence,
That they’d be slow to speak and quick to listen,
That they’d be good stewards of God’s creation and their resources,
That they’d know wisdom and recognize the luring voice of folly and sneer at it,
That they’d know God’s love that controls us and, in so knowing, know self-control,
That they’d find sweetness in the Fruit of the Spirit.
God, please hear my prayer.
Written Thursday, October 5 (day 296). Like the other musing posted today, this too was inspired on the drive to Columbia the weekend before. In my exhaustion, I had a real moment of desire for them, a longing for them as I considered them, the ones for whom I was spending my energy.
