Dear Brother or Sister who is holding a child, whether literally or in the grip of prayer, rocking back and forth, and crying out to their Creator, “You made them. You gave them to me. I MUST know what to do and how to do it!”

…

Cry it. Scream it. And then, surrender it. Place all the gut-wrenching emotions and the maddening thoughts into the strong, capable hands of your Father. Place the child(ren) before a trustworthy God as Abraham, the the widow of Zarephath, the Shunammite woman, Jairus, and Mary the mother of Jesus did. Believe Him. Praise Him. Trust Him.

When all the options and environments and solutions have run their course and run out and you have come to the end of yourself, here’s what you will find…Jesus. Jesus is right here, ready to take over what you give Him. He’s ready to hold you and restore your soul. He is ready to strengthen you for this next day. He is ready to help you stand. And He is ready to help you be still while He does the work only He is capable of doing. That child…is His. That heart…is His ground. You have stewarded that soul, cultivated that heart, taught that mind, ministered to that body. Now, let Him do His Good Work.

And you, what does that child need most from you now…for you to be alright in the Almighty’s Hands. When that child goes through hard times and rough waters, when that child allows him/herself to be beaten down by the choices they are making, when the world turns against them, what that child needs to know is that when they turn towards home, they will see you with arms open wide, running toward them with joy. When chaos is within and all around them, they need to see a pillar of peace standing beside them. When all else and everyone around fails them, they need to know your faithfulness. When the world seems like hell to them and darkness engulfs them without mercy, Brother, Sister, turn the light on and be the home – the taste of heaven – that welcomes them, gives them a good meal, and offers a safe place to rest, relax, and laugh.

And know this – as you are caring for your child, God is caring for His. You are in the safest place right where you are when you are with Him. “Bring your heart…lift your song.”

This morning I was sitting outside listening to the birds make their morning sounds and the crickets sing beneath a sky that was about to light up with a blazing sun. It was stunning! (And coffee, I had coffee!) I love these early mornings with DAD. There are some mornings I just want to cuddle back beneath the sheets but then I remind myself I’d miss this. This is not some legalistic thing I do. I know that if I needed to get a bit more sleep, DAD would be completely fine with it, but what I find is I WANT THIS! I want this more than I want an extra hour of sleep. I want this more than I want to go on a morning run. (To which some of you are like, umm, who wants a morning run anyway…;).) Here’s the thing, I want this time because I want Him! DAD won my heart over twenty years ago and He has continued to win my heart every day since.