Noticing God in Chaos: 5 Prayers for Tired ParentsSample

Sacred Noticing

How can we hope to form the souls of our families when we’re drinking from a firehose of information, entertainment, and connectivity twenty-four hours a day?

The youngest among us have much to teach us about paying attention. My six-year-old constantly stops on a walk, marveling at the shell of a fallen walnut or the wing of a butterfly.

With God’s help, we can set our beeping and buzzing distractions aside, becoming like children as we awaken our senses to the glory that is unfurling all around us. When we partake in this holy work of noticing, we become aware of where we may extend ordinary grace—and where we’re receiving, again and again, the grace that God lavishly pours into the nooks and crannies of our seemingly ordinary lives.

We can pay attention to our inner worlds and to what’s going on all around us. In this sacred noticing, we’re given the ability to see not just the beauty springing up around us on a fall day but also the divine gift of seeing and serving Jesus in those often unseen.

May we not get so busy that we miss Jesus in the people in front of us.

A practice I’ve been trying to incorporate to help me pay attention is praying the Examen, a reflection developed by Ignatius Loyola in the sixteenth century that has been used by the church for centuries.

As I prayerfully reflect on several questions each evening, I have an opportunity to examine and reflect on God’s presence throughout the beautiful and challenging moments of my day.

When the lights are low and all the creatures of my home are asleep, I plug in my phone, silence it, and grab a book from my bedside table. When it’s time to turn off the light, I begin to play back my day.

Where did I see God in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night?
What brought me joy?
What challenged me?
What disappointed me?

This prayer practice helps me stay rooted. When I pray the Examen, I look back and talk to God, not just recounting what happened or how I felt but also asking for help in exploring the deeper why within the contours of my day.

Some people journal their Examen prayers, but I prefer the freedom of letting my mind wander through them.

When I pray this way, I feel like a child hashing out the day with a parent who is delighted to be in the presence of their beloved child. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I sometimes find myself convicted and other times comforted in this reflective examination of the soul. I can tell when I’ve mainlined news and mindlessly doomscrolled, because I have a difficult time recalling the day.

But no matter what my day was like, I am reminded of the presence of God with me through all of it—the joys, the sorrows, and all the mundane parts in between.

Reflection Questions:
When did you notice God’s presence today?
How did Jesus give us an example of paying attention?
What happens when we don’t pay attention to those around us who are hurting?
What do you think Jesus meant when He said that what we do for the least of these we do for Him?

Breath Prayer:
Inhale: Compassionate Christ,
Exhale: Help me to move toward love.