II Thessalonians Chapter 1

“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.” (II Thess. 1:11 NIV)

A Prayer Over Our Children

Lord, grow my little one’s faith in You and increase her love for her fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. May You grant her a persevering faith that endures persecutions and trials. Count her worthy of Your kingdom for which she will suffer. Be her Defender, Advocate, and give her justice, repaying all trouble that comes against her. Bring her relief through the blazing fire of Your Son with His powerful angels. Oh Lord, may she experience Your presence and the majesty of Your power. Help her to be counted worthy of Your calling and that by Your power, you will fulfill in her every good purpose in her and every act prompted by her faith. Jesus, be glorified in her and her in You this day. ... 

​“Ah-choo!” sneezed Sweet one, burying her little nose in her hand. Sweet girl caught a cold and dripped like a leaky faucet. With a Kleenex box on her left and a trash can on her right, Sweet one reclined against a pillow on the couch snuggling under a blanket and blew her nose like she was breathing oxygen. Now just a low-grade fever, 48 hours earlier, Sweet one woke up drenched in sweat and burning hot to the touch. A rasping rattle reverberated through her chest and she started coughing dry and harsh. “Mommy!” she cried, tears welling in her eyes after her coughing fit passed, “I don’t feel well!” 

​Right here and now, I confess that I am one of those parents who worries when her child is sick. I throw every possible remedy, whether holistic or over the counter, at my child hoping one of them will stick. I am one of those moms who consults a huge book to deliberate between symptoms and their treatments (okay, so I ask my husband to do the dirty work!). I feel on edge, constantly wondering if I am giving the right medicine, if I correctly diagnosed Sweet girl’s illness, or whether she is or is not improving. I drive everyone crazy, including myself! In truth, parents, I am a big, irritable, stress eating, anxiety riddled, hot mess.

I am also ashamed to confess that in these situations, I find myself doing first rather than praying and seeking God’s help or wisdom. Immediately, I transform into a whirlwind, hoping to single-handedly cure the illness and eradicate the germs. It seems like I only approach God as a last resort if nothing else works. My normally sunny disposition tends to disappear as I become consumed by worry and frustration that Sweet girl is not improving as quickly as I think she should. My patience wanes and my temper flares over the smallest of things. In decision paralyzes and the chores around the house come to a standstill. When Sweet one gets sick, the earth stops moving. 

So, as Sweet one laid on the couch, coughing, sneezing, and blowing her nose, I slouched at her feet, cringing as I imagined the spray of germs infiltrating my own respiratory system. Another day of school missed, I inwardly groaned, and me another day closer to insanity!

As I slumped on the couch, tuning out the DVD Sweet one was watching for the umpteenth time, a still, small voice whispered to the gloomy recesses of my mind. Are you to only thank God in the good times? Are you also to praise God in the troubled times, the tough times, and the sick times? Should not my lips say, ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord who gives and takes away?’

Given in the most loving and sweetest of ways, this gentle rebuke resonated with truth and power. I straightened to ramrod attention and blinked away the grouchy sleeping sand to look at Sweet one with fresh eyes. Thank you, God, that she is not terminally ill, I began my recognition of gratitude. Thank you, Lord, that she is now able to breathe through both nostrils. Thank you Lord that the rattle in her chest is gone. Thank you…

​Sweet girl’s voice cut through my reverie. “So good to me!” She sang, joining the praise DVD, “Na, na, na, na, so good to me!” Sweet girl perched on the edge of the couch, watching the DVD with bright eyes. The deeper tones of her congested voice, rasped out of her, grating like a holey muffler. I watched as Sweet one, threw off her blanket and slid off the couch. Hair sticking up on end, clothed in her pajamas, and clutching tissue in hand, she began dancing to the praise song. Little girl wiggled and jumped, a wide smile stretching over her face and eyes sparkling. “So good to me!” she sang at the top of her lungs despite her scratchy voice, dripping nose, and low-grade fever. “Na, na, na, na, so good to me!” She bounced, “so good to me!”

Then, with a quick turn of her head, she grinned wide and shouted, “Come on, Mommy! Come dance with me!” So infectious and irresistible is the joy of a little one, so precious is the pure of heart who see God, and so good is our Heavenly Father who loves us so deeply, offers mercy and grace so widely, and who gives and takes away. 
     
Filled full by the light of illumination, I jumped to join my Sweet girl in her sacred and joyous dance. We twirled, we spun, we wiggled, and jiggled. We waved our hands high and stretched to reach the sky. “So GOOD to me,” we shouted at the top of our lungs, laughing breathlessly, “so good to ME!”
     
​And she is right, God is so good to us. Even when we are sick, even when we are sad, even when the world is crashing down around us, God is so good to us. For who cares for even the sparrow in the field? Who offers unconditional love that is wider and deeper than the largest of oceans? Who knows our thoughts and what we need even before we ask for it? Who stands beside us and keeps the fire from burning us? Who is our Friend, our Helper, our Defender and Advocate, who slumbers not nor sleeps, who watches and protects, who guides and grants wisdom, who meets our every need and grants love, joy, and peace in abundance. Who is so good to us? God is so good to us. 

A Parent's Prayer

Blessed be the name of the Lord, for You give and You take away. Forgive me for phrasing You only in the good. Help me to bless and praise Your name in the bad. Give me a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude this day.