Voodoo dolls, teachers, and endless prayers.....

I taught middle school for a while.  Then I had kids and decided enough was enough and never went back.  I had a student one day run out of my room screaming I hate you - about a million times.  Apparently he hated me... And came back one day with a voodoo doll that he said was me.  

 And I told this story to my oldest recently as we discussed some struggles in school - Right after I hung up the phone with his math teacher.  And Ethan says he just can't pay attention, and it's boring, and he hates it.  And now he's probably wondering where he can get a voodoo doll.  Now that I've planted that idea.  

But the point of our talk was that we have responsibilities not only to others - such as our teachers and parents - but to ourselves.  A responsibility to make the most of an opportunity when we get the chance.  And we talked about how sometimes an opportunity looks more like torture than a good thing, but that sometimes our kid brains don't always tell us the complete truth.  And that's true for our adult brains as well.  I think I told Ethan that his teenager brain is currently operating at about the size of a squirrel's, and I actually don't know that to be fact.   But it sounded good and it fit in with the talk.  And my kids super love shooting squirrels in the backyard.  And they constantly remind me of the day we saw a hawk swoop down and pick up a half dead squirrel in the road.  And I screamed.  Like a girl. 

 
In the last few days we've had lessons in integrity, humility, responsibility, honesty, and all other things that kids forget how to do.  But to them it's just talk talk talk....

So I found this scripture to be particularly good at touching on the topics we don't really know how to pray for.  Heck, I pray for my kids safety each day.  For protection of their bodies, minds and hearts.  For the influences of others to be leaning toward the good and away from the bad. But I can't see everything.  And time has already proven that I will never know everything about my kids anymore.  And I can't even begin to anticipate what comes next.  

So I really like this passage.... praying for them to know how big God's desire is not only for their day to day activities, but for their hearts.  For their futures and dreams and plans.  Because at this point 7th grade math is leaving lots of time for spur of the moment day dreams during class as I understand.  But praying for a view beyond the immediate.  For the life that is yet to come and at the same time, giving thanks to God for all that he WILL do.  Because we just can't know.  

(Maybe pray this in the times when you just can't find other words to speak what's in your heart.  And insert your loved ones' names and see what  a great prayer it becomes.)

 Ephesians 1:16-19 

(Ethan, Chris and Sam)...  I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be open in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.