When All You Can Do As A Mama Is Pray

This week our daughter headed out the door loaded down with a backpack bigger than she was, and started off to middle school. As she got into my husband’s car, the weight of that backpack was equivalent to the heaviness in my chest. A flood of memories of my own junior high school experience fell over me, dragging me down. I wanted to run down the driveway screaming, “Wait!
Stop! She’s not ready for junior high school! I’m not ready!”. But the car sped away carrying my tiny baby off to her next right of passage.

I felt a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, unable to protect my little girl from the onslaughts of her peers. As I sat there a new wave of memories came over me – scenes from her birth and childhood flashed before my eyes and I heard the Lord whisper in my heart, “Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. I, the Lord, am with her, just as I have always been. Every unkind word or difficult day, I will be by her side and I can use even the difficult things for good. Cast your cares upon me – for I care for both of you!”. Ah yes, He would be with her. And if I ever needed reminded of that fact, all I needed to do was pray.

I picked up my journal and began to pen the following promises that I had seen played out in my daughter’s precious life and knew I would continue to see, because God is faithful:

I came into the world a fresh bundle of life,                                                                                        Cradled in love and untouched by strife.                                                                                                Not knowing the trial and troubles I’d face,                                                                                         Nor my need for a Savior and immeasurable grace-                                                                               But I had a mother who prayed.

I soon experienced the hole in my heart                                                                                                    My frustration with wants right from the start.                                                                                            I lashed out in wails, screaming with greed                                                                                        Certain the world should meet all my needs-                                                                                          But I had a mother who prayed.

I discovered the kindness and meanness of friends                                                                           Whom I thought cared about me but were cruel in the end.                                                                      I experienced pieces of failure and pain.                                                                                                And demanded to know why the Son allowed rain-                                                                              And I had a mother who prayed.

Adults brought wounds and my peers flung arrows                                                                                But I knew His eye was on His sparrow.                                                                                                     I embraced my Savior in awe of His grace                                                                                             Ever seeking His love in His wonderful face.                                                                                           Yes, I had a mother who prayed.

Now I sit and hold a new promise of life.                                                                                                      I know she’ll face joy, and pain and strife.                                                                                                      But I’ll seek to shower her with the thing that is best                                                                                And trust in the Father to cover the rest.                                                                                                     Yes, I’ll be a mother who prays.

So to all the mamas out there: when you feel overwhelmed, pray. When you are worried about your children, pray. When you want to protect them and you feel like you can’t, pray. God is with them – and He’s also with you. Be a mama who prays.