A Child’s Prayer Gives Perspective

Posted on September 24, 2008 
Filed Under Fathering, Life, Parenting, Spiritual Life

From a journal entry a while back, something other dads might relate to in some way…

~~~

It is now nearly 10 p.m. The day has been full, and the evening activities have been non-stop. Musings on a busy day…

I was tired from the wildness of my day at the office. So, as I retired to my castle, ready for some respite and quiet, I probably had some unreasonable expectations. It is foolish to expect any semblance of quiet when I come home to this beloved bunch. Can they possibly be any more expressive and dramatic - and loud?

Sensing chaos and desiring order,  I pull on the gloves and start to be the heavyweight champion of the dad-world. My wife is tired, and so am I, but I am up to the challenge! I will bring these kids into compliance, I will help them behave like little adults. I will prove the victor in getting some control of our – my – house and our – my – children.

Oh foolishness, indeed! I do not succeed in helping the kids calm down.  No, I instead lose control and become an Ogre (hear me roar), I’m Mr. Bad-Guy. I morph into Mr. “Don’t Break The Rules Or Else” man. And in the process I yell, I lose it, I say stupid things. Drat!

So now my wife is in bed, the children are drifting off and here am I thinking about what went wrong. The kids and I did “make up,” for which I am glad. That happened as we prayed. Those times together of petitioning God often serve as reminders that I love them, and that God is in control - even when Daddy isn’t.

Prayer is how I will survive and succeed as a parent. And one of my daughters had treasure of a prayer tonight. She was priceless in asking God to touch some sick relatives, to bring glory to Himself in the midst of the recent tragedies of the world, to help us know Him better. Beautiful prayer.  A reminder, perhaps, that we are making some progress, even when external behaviors don’t necessarily look encouraging?

As I think through the eve, I believe I can do better. I must bring my expectations and my words and attitudes into line with what God has for me. I can set a better tone. Not on my own., however!

Lord help me?  And thanks, God, for that child’s wonderful prayer tonight. Hear her heart cries for others, I pray. Amen.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Comments are moderated and will not appear on johnfullerblog.com until they've been approved. While we are eager to facilitate conversation by publishing most comments, we may withhold one from time to time if we deem it offensive, vulgar, overly personal, cynical, disrespectful, irrelevant, redundant or unnecessarily contentious.
Comments on John Fuller's blog may not refer specifically to any current electoral candidate, or any measure on a current ballot – at any level of local, state, or federal government. Focus on the Family is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity, and therefore cannot take a position on specific votes. Nor can we display any such statements on our Web sites. Likewise, we cannot discuss here the personal viewpoints of people like Dr. Dobson or Jim Daly on political candidates or ballot measures. Any posts to this forum which violate these rules will be removed. There is an alternative venue for this type of discussion. Some activities of this nature are undertaken by Focus on the Family Action, a 501(c)(4) organization, and its media outlet, Citizenlink. Citizenlink maintains an Election Forum of its own, where political discussions are allowed and welcomed so long as they comply with the posted guidelines.
Finally, if you would like to contact our ministry directly, please feel free to do so from one of our FAQs.