A Prayer for My Lily

Dear Jesus,

Thank you today for this little ray of bright sunshine in my life that I call Lily.  She is beautiful and so special.  I know that it is a good thing, but she is growing up so very fast.  She is quickly becoming a young girl, no longer a toddler.  How blessed I am that you gave her to me.

Lord, I pray for Lily right now as she is discovering the boundaries in her world.  Forgive me when I have been less than gracious.  Her heart is so sweet and her spirit so fun.  Please teach me how to teach her Lord.  Give me the patience to never give up on her even when she wants to argue about everything.  Help me always remember that You taught me and I am a stubborn woman.  She is like me, how could I extend her any less grace?  

She may frustrate me Lord, but you have made her perfectly equipped for the life and purpose ahead of her.  Help her grow strong and confident, a leader and rock for others.  Guard my actions and words that I may build her up and never tear her down.  Help me let go of things I cannot change and fight for the things I can.  Above all help me let her always be a kid.  A fun, crazy dressed, only eats chicken nuggets kid.  Everyone of us deserves a childhood.

Lord I pray that she would know You intimately and that she would let You lead her.   Please bring friends and people in her life who bring her near to You.  I pray that she would have compassion and a heart for others.  I pray that her friendships would be deep and lifelong.

Lord I pray for the men in her life.  I know, she is only 3.5, but one day she won't be.  Lord give her discernment and strength.  Guard her innocence.  Lord I pray that she would cling to the promises of all you have in store for her as long as she waits for You to write her love story.  I pray that she would have lots of guy friends;  the type of guy friends that would defend her, honor her and love her for the amazing, beautiful, smart girl she is.  The type of guy friends that bring her closer to You.  I also pray for my Lily's future husband.  Lord you know who he is and where he is.  Be his King Lord so that when he meets her, he will know how to love his Queen.  Please Father, guard her.

I pray also for my girls as sisters.  Lord I pray that they would be close.  Help me Lord to teach them how to be angry without sinning and to love each other above all.  Help me extend grace to them so that they know how to extend grace to each other.  Please let Lily grow to know how special her big sister role is.  She is who Evie looks up to.  Lord help her to be worthy of it.

More than anything Lord, I pray for abundant life for my Lily Bear.  She is so joyful and I know that this world will try to steal it from her.  Be her protector Lord and above all teach her to trust You.

She is my first baby Lord, a miracle in itself.  I am amazed and humbled by her and blessed to be her Mom.  Thank you Jesus for my little Lily Lu.

Amen

Find the Narrow Gate

Dear Lily and Evie,

Something very interesting happened this past week and I have felt compelled to write you a letter.  Although you are still young, the issue that arose is one that reflects the world that you are inevitably going to grow up in.  Its important to me that I take every chance I can to teach you about this world we are a part of and share wisdom that I hope will forever be a garland around your necks.

This past week, a high profile celebrity couple, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, casually announced, via a blog site, that they were in the process of “Consciously Uncoupling.”  In the post they went on to share briefly that although they had had a successful marriage for many years and 2 children, they no longer wanted to be a couple.  They had decided to end their marriage and remain as separate individuals.  The media went into a frenzy with this new term this twosome had coined.  “What could it mean?” “Is this the new frontier of the modern family?”  News stations had interview upon interview with marriage counselors and the like helping all of us to understand this new phrase.  As I watched these intelligent men and women justify the action and explain it away, my spirit wanted to just cry out.  No matter how you explain it, its still divorce.  It’s still brokenness and separation, selfishness and sin.  Its NOT God’s best.

And yet…..everyone was onboard with this conscious uncoupling idea.  The couple was praised for their “enlightened approach.”   Somehow it was better than divorce.  Some claimed it wasn’t divorce at all because the couple stated that they were still a “family.” My heart was very sad and angry. How easily and eloquently our society covered the sin and made it acceptable, justified and praised.  How far we have fallen.  

Following the announcement by Paltrow and Martin, a well known Dr. weighed in.  She stood behind this new definition of separation stating clearly that humans were not designed to have life long relationships.  That it’s not natural.  I stopped there in my reading and thought, “I totally agree with her.”  Lifelong commitments do go against our sinful nature, but that is what makes them so special.  Lifelong commitments are the most life giving, empowering, beautiful things, but they are hard and take a daily choice against what comes naturally.  They take a Higher Power.   Divorce is the natural approach when things get hard.  

*Now I am going to take a second and clarify one thing.  While I will stand in opposition of divorce, I absolutely believe that there are times where divorce is a necessary choice.  Abuse is one of them.  Even so, it is NOT God’s best.  It never is….or was…..or will be.*

You see girls, the road of Christ is a narrow one.  Not many people find it and walk it faithfully.  Around every corner there lurks a Master Deceiver pointing you towards the wide path.  He is an expert at using our weaknesses to convince us to stray.  He is an expert at making sin look right. He is an expert at using respected people to influence, at using language to convince.  He is an EXPERT.  Never underestimate him. The wide path is easy, it looks good, it allows you to be selfish and justify any actions you choose. It allows you to take the sorrow of divorce and call it "conscious uncoupling."  It’s alluring girls and you will be amazed at how easily the world will rise up to walk with you on the wide path, but resist at every turn the narrow one.   

Walking the narrow path requires Wisdom.  Seek it out, ask for it, wear it like a garland and keep it close.  Don’t use your wisdom as a pathway to judgment, but use it as a door to show love. 

"My daughter, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion."  Proverbs 3:21

"Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you and your hope will not be cut off."  Proverbs 24:14

Do not be fooled by this world Lily and Evie.  Guard your hearts, search for wisdom, ask for discernment, be the light in the darkness. Don't cover your sin.  Recognize it, acknowledge it, repent from it and be wise to the ways of the Evil One.  He will tempt you often. You must be strong, you must have courage to live in this world and not be of it.  Know what is right, don’t be fooled by the wolf in sheep clothes.  

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Lastly girls know this.  Jesus came to give you life.  Abundant and whole life.  

"The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy;  I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10

Don't be enslaved by the worlds waywardness.  Don't give up the freedom you have in Christ to be ensnared by the trappings of society.  Cling to what is good, pure, noble, right and godly.  Stay humble and walk closely with Jesus.  He loves you more than you can imagine and has good things in store for you.  Wait for them, seek them, and when you find them don't let the world steal them away.

All my Love

Mom