Hebrews Chapter 3

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ’Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” Hebrews 3:13, NIV

Prayer Over Our Children

Oh Lord, may my little one share in Your heavenly calling. Fix her thoughts upon You and may she confess Your Name. Be faithful to her, oh God, just as You were to Abraham and Moses. Help her hear Your voice and keep her heart tender to You, never testing or trying. ...

May she know and walk in Your ways, staying faithful to You. Keep her from unbelief and sin but help her mutually encourage others. May she share in You through a firm confidence with the zeal of first love. Oh God, may her heart never grow hardened and may she be kept from rebellion, disobedience, unbelief and sin.

Sun warmed and brightened the cushions on my loveseat, inviting me to sit and soak in the heavenly rays. Our wall of windows stood behind our furniture, perfectly positioned to receive the morning and afternoon light. It was the end to a long week, one where unexpected activities popped up and demanded your time. Nothing disastrous, but even the most good and rewarding adventures commandeer time and energy. Sweet pea just returned from preschool and we had enjoyed our lunch on a rainbow square patched afghan. Little girl tucked away for book time, the corner on the loveseat bathed in sunshine now called my name. 
     
Bills, clean up, and writing vied for this space, this moment, this claim on the present, but time in the quiet, time in the sun-soaked haven of my cushioned corner proved irresistible. Here, I sit, yes, sit, with the warmth of the sun soaking through my skin and ministering to my soul. The sound of the wind rustling through the tree branches and my daughter’s muted chatter gently fills the air. The hum of the refrigerator drones in the background and birds lend their sweet notes to the quiet symphony. Even the silence bares its own unique sound. It is like a stillness that is broad and full, all encompassing yet able to hug your innermost insides. Able to be breathed in and breathed out as smooth as water and as gentle as summer rain. Talking to God and finding contentment in this present moment. Being present. Here. 
     
As my chest rose and fell and my body found a rhythm of its own, I felt reborn again in the light of the sun soaking me from the outside in and from God who was filling me from the inside out. A week that has not been bad, just busy, has taken time away from my Sweet pea. She has been a trooper and has even found her time away from me fun, but a subtle change in her interactions and interrelating testified of my absence’s impact.  And as I breathed in the quiet, allowed the warm rays to penetrate body and soul, and embraced the present, the busy world came to a stop and the present itself filled the space, becoming the now. The inner ears of my heart could listen more fully with the distractions and busyness forced to a minimum, allowing clarity of thought to flow gentle and sweet.
     
You haven’t spent much quality time with Sweet pea, came the soft whisperings of the Father. You need to be fully present with her in mind, thought, and attention. Be present with her not just in body but in fullness of thought and mind. Talk with her, play with her, laugh with her, and dance wither. She needs YOU, Momma. 
     
And as I received this gentle rebuke, the busyness of the week flashed through my mind and poured into tomorrow when once again my presence will be absent. Yet, rather then let guilt, angst, or self-blame fill this sacred space, I claim back the fullness of the present and refuse any hold tomorrow tries to assuage. For I am covered, renewed, and redeemed by the blood of Christ’s sacrifice. I am made holy, and pure from all that was, is, and will be. And for this great truth, I can breathe; breathe long and deep in this moment, breathe full and wide in this space, breathe and be still as the sun beats down upon my back and warms my skin. 
     
​How often do you take time to be still, to soak in the present moment and just be? How often does the demands and activities of the world squelch the inner strivings for peace and oneness with the Father? For me, I regrettably confess - all too often. Yet, as I sit in the here and now, allowing the harmonious waves of peace, stillness, and silence to wash over and through me, I find I am made whole again through the inner light of the Spirit which creates space for the holiness of God. Take time to breathe my fellow parents, take time to hear the stillness and be still. Tune out the distractions of the day, the week, and even the hour, and focus on the breadth of God, Himself, who is worthy in all things and gloried from the very beginning to the end of time.

A Parent’s Prayer

Oh Lord, help me be still and breathe in Your presence. Let me claim this moment and turn my thoughts, solely to You. Give me ears to hear, give me eyes to see. Fill me, restore me, and make me whole again. Let me be still and know that You are God this day.