Prayers
A Prayer for Autism
Creator God, Lover of diversity of all kinds, all made perfectly in your image. Remind me daily how perfectly we were made imperfectly. Help me. Help me ride the tides of my son’s moods. Help me savor the moments when his autism allows him to be as calm as the smallest waves, gently lapping over…
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Our Lady of the Living Room Floor
By the low light of the baby monitor, she removes her makeup and recalls the shining successes of her friends as they gathered around the table that night: their new jobs and promotions, the annual review meetings, the conference next week in California. At the far end of the table, she’d sat silently recalling her…
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A Prayer for Mother-Artists
God, I come to you today With a thousand prayers— For peace, for quiet, For inspiration and motivation, For the chance to meet You In the sacred space of creation. In this time You have offered And I have longed for, I come to create alongside You. Let the work of my mind and body…
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Reflections of a Pregnant Church
I can feel myself stretching. There is tension in my skin, and soreness in my breasts as they usher life in. I am enlarging the space inside of myself; This Body made up of so many parts. They were all comfortable, all had their roles; An eye as an eye and an ear as an…
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Why Taking Prenatal Vitamins is an Act of Faith
Because you’ve been down this road before, when the line turned more and more pink, leaving you without a shadow of a doubt: you’re pregnant. Because you’re struck by the wildness of it all — nearly a year since the miscarriage. . . and this?? Because you’d finally settled into contentment, not the restless back…
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Prayers for Your Godchildren
A prayer for my godson(s) You are young. You reside in my heart, close to the others. Our relationship is unique. My deepest obligation to you is to pray for you. I would, anyway. I treasure the memory of your chubby arms circling around my neck and your little voice squealing, “Godmama!!” Now you grow…
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A Litany for Mothers
From the belief that I am alone in my motherhood, deliver me Jesus. From the belief that my productivity lies within a completed checklist, deliver me Jesus. From the idol of business, deliver me Jesus. From the belief that my husband and I are the same, deliver me Jesus. From the self hate about all…
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Prayer for a Country Called War
Every time you kiss your children, Remember those who have lost theirs. Every time you take a sip of water, Remember those who have no food, no drink. Every time you call your parents, Remember those who have no way of knowing if their loved ones are alive or dead. Every time you flick on…
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For Supportive Female Friendships
Devoted Companion, At this and every stage of my daughter’s life, bring her female friends who will be faithful and true. Protect their hearts from jealousy and insecurity, betrayal and comparison. May they lift one another up, reveling in each other’s successes as though they were their own (seeing that, in fact, they are). May…
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What if God Called You Honey?
What if God called you honey? Spoon-fed you chicken noodle, pressed a patchwork quilt across your lap before you thought to ask? Brimmed with proud tears when you got out of bed, sobbed like an earthquake when you couldn’t? Overlooked the stars, the wild flowered fields because He couldn’t stop beholding the birth shaking miracle…
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A Prayer for Raising Teenagers and Launching Young Adults
Lord Jesus, through your death and resurrection, You teach us that it is only in letting go can we come to the glory of new life. Yet, as a parent, it is so hard to let go, especially when it comes to our children growing up. As our children develop into the people Our Father…
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