A Prayer for a Mother’s Anger

Abba,
It is so easy to give in to the tension creeping up my neck,
the tightness in my throat, and the hurt I’ve burrowed down deep.

But what is not right is to unleash this hurt,
these emotions I need to rightfully process with YOU,
on my tiny humans.

You don’t give me more than I can handle—I hear this, I know it.
But what I forget is, You don’t give me more than I can handle with Your help.

When I feel the anger begin to swell,
bringing me to use “rough hands” or raise my voice,
I ask for Your grace to BREATHE,
to take a moment for myself and listen.

Listen to the beating of my heart,
listen to the undercurrent of the little voices needing my care,
just as I need Your care and grace.

Breathe through the anger from a lingering hurtful comment at work,
my frustration that I didn’t get up when I wanted to in the morning,
that my spouse didn’t respond exactly as my heart needed.

Instead, please help me sit with my emotions,
and allow my children to see that mommy, too, needs to breathe and feel deeply.

Breathe in—What I am feeling is real, it is rooted within me.
Breathe out—Who You are is steadfast, You will take care of me.
 
AMEN.

Copyright © 2024 Emily Mingus

For more prayers on anger:

Breath prayers for hard days of parenting
A prayer for days when we get it all wrong – in English & Spanish
For the mornings we yell