Proud
parents love to celebrate their children and to crow about their offspring’s
achievements and assets. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. But what about
those who face parenting challenges or who long to be parents at all?
Plenty
of admirable parents endure stages of rebellion in their kids, praying with all
they have for their youngsters to come to faith (or return to it). And don’t we
all know folks who would like nothing more than to become parents in the first
place, but it doesn’t happen? We struggle to comprehend why God doesn’t seem to
answer such prayers. Maybe we’ll never understand.
I
have known firsthand the sting of praying again and again for God to bring
children into the home. As an adoptive parent, I do not forget the seemingly
endless wait and the many ups and downs and sudden disappointments of near-miss
adoption plans. We endured so many almost placements that never happened, along
with the pain of explaining to loved ones that another much-anticipated child
would not be joining the family, after all. But the Lord finally granted us the
ones He’s picked for us all along.
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. (Psalm 127:3, NIV)
Father God, we
find ourselves at a loss to grasp Your ways sometimes, especially when our most
desperate prayers seem to fall flat. Give us a glimpse, we pray, of Your hand
at work in our lives. Comfort those who want so badly to have children, as well
as those who are facing conflicts or concerns with the children they do have.
Remind us that our children (and others’ children) are blessings from Your
hand, even when they may challenge us and try our character. As Your children,
surely we do the same.
We ask in faith and in the name of our wonderful Lord, Your
Son Jesus Christ.
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