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.
(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
