1 Timothy Chapter Two, Part 2

1 Timothy Chapter 2:9-15, Part 2
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,” I Timothy 2: 12 (ESV)

A Prayer for a Little Girl

Lord, help my daughter desire to dress modestly, with all decency and propriety. May her adornment be good deeds along with her love and worship of You rather than trendy clothing and flashy accessories or jewelry. Impress upon her the wisdom and understanding to dress in a manner that bears witness of You and reflects her love for You. Teach her the joys of quietness and full submission to You as her Lord and Savior and to her husband as head of their household. Bless her and her husband’s marriage with children, love for one another, and peace and joy in the Lord. May she persevere with faith, love, and holiness with propriety. ...

“Mommy, please stay with me a little bit longer,” begged Sweet one, her voice anxious in the pitch-black stillness of early morning. She lay snuggled beneath the covers and reached a slim, small arm out, as if to restrain me from leaving. “Mommy, please stay,” she repeated, this time with an arm now crooked around my neck as I squatted beside the bed and leaned over her in as much motherly affection as one can muster in a state of sleep deprived delirium.

It was 2:30 a.m., and Sweet one woke up scared from a dream. Several times this week, dreams haunted Sweet one, waking her up frightened, uncertain, and calling my name. Jerking awake, throwing back covers, shuffling down the hallway, and stumbling into her room, I would curl beside her, whispering soothing comforts in her ears, and rubbing her back until she drifted off to sleep. Then, exhausted, I would stumble back to my room and crawl back beneath the covers, hoping sleep would quickly claim me. After several nights of interrupted sleep, Mommy was ready to make this interlude as brief and quick as possible so to return to sleep with post haste speed! But as I knelt beside Sweet one with her little arm hooked around my neck in strongman fashion and her anxious child voice piercing the night air. I waivered in my resolve. 

“Mommy, please stay with me a little while more,” she pleaded, her eyes beseeching, “plea stay!” Her soft, baby smooth fingers touched my cheeks as gentle as butterfly wings, making me crumble in instant acquiescence.

“Okay, Sweet pea,” I relented, planting a kiss on her forehead, “Mommy will stay for a little bit more.”

​Lifting the bed covers, I snuggled in right down beside her, resting a hand on her curved back. She sighed in relieved contentment and buried herself deeper beneath the covers, tugging the blankets just so beneath her chin. We shared a pillow – her on the right and me on the left. Then, as little girl’s chest rose and fell with the breath of a sleeping child, I drifted off to the slumber of a Mom who cherishes these sweet, fleeting moments of innocence and vulnerability.

Our time is so short with our small ones. They grow up so quickly, exerting and demanding their independence that the times they call for us, want us, desire our presence and crave our closeness will soon be as fleeting as snow in July. How quickly they sprout into teenagers and then adults who want to do everything by themselves without assistance, who feel embarrassed to have us around, or who even may not even need us for those precious, special moments or those times of uncertainty, fear, and vulnerability.

Cherish these moments with your children, when they are young, when they want us to be with them, when they ask for us to play, or delight in our involved presence and interaction. For the time will quickly arrive when we will be the ones craving their attention, their time, and interaction. Breathe deep these days of innocent sweet delight, revel in the simple beauty of being desired and loved as Mommy and Daddy, glory in the moments where they look up to us and where our presence brings them comfort and calm. 

So parents, when it has been one of those days where our little one causes us to want to tear our hair out, when the tantrums or screaming rise to a crescendo, when all we want to do is hide in the closet for peace and quiet, remember that these days of child innocence, pure little girl or little boy joy, and sweet child delight are fast and fleeting in the making, disappearing like evening stars in the dawn of day. Yet, just as the breaking dawn rises with muted colors that transition to the bright brilliance of golden rays, our children will rise into adulthood, grounded by our love, formed by countless moments of time, attention, and presence, and warmed by hugs, kisses, laughter, and play. are investment during these few, precious years will reap tenfold and will continue to compound in the future as the years stretch in the mutual love, joy, and relationship we hold and share with our children. Live life fully with your family, be present in the moment, and welcome the inconvenient interruptions, break neck pace, and unstopping demand for our attention and time that we experience minute by minute, hour to hour, and day to day. Join me in the joy of parenting and glory in the daily grind of wiping noses, feeding tummies, dressing squirming little bodies, washing grubby faces, and even missing valuable hours of sleep in our quest to raise our children up in love. 

A Parent's Prayer

Oh Lord, forgive me for the many times I am impatient, irritable, selfish, and clenching tight the hands of control. Help me embrace each moment as special and be present to receive Your joy in the daily hustle and bustle of parenting. Give me Your grace, strength, wisdom, and love for those difficult, trying, and inconvenient situations. Open my eyes, oh Lord. So that I might see You in each and every moment of my day.