Noticing God in Chaos: 5 Prayers for Tired ParentsSample

I try to get to the school pickup line early when I can swing it. Sometimes I follow up on emails; other times I send a voice message to my friend across the country, waiting in her own pickup line. Other times I forget my phone altogether.

When I’m not looking down at my phone, I look up instead. I’m less distracted and more in tune with everything around me. I have eyes to see, to pay attention, to bear witness to the sacred everyday reality I’m living in. Instead of getting lost in the endless scroll and social media algorithms at my fingertips, I loosen my shoulders.

With new anticipation, I watch the door my son’s blond curls will tumble out of. I see a group of four children huddled under a single umbrella, their little hands clutching the handle, holding up the protection. They walk in step, leaving no one behind.

Children are innately tuned in to noticing. They are particularly gifted at spotting a need and sharing what they have.

How often are we so distracted by our constant social media feeds that we don’t see the raindrops around us? How can we share our umbrellas when we don’t even know it’s raining?

I get out of the van and pull my sweatshirt around my ears, trying to block a bit of the rain. I wave to my son and his teacher, and he tells his umbrella buddies goodbye. I see he has something in one of his hands.

He runs toward me with all the speed his tiny sneakers can muster, his backpack taking over his whole body. I welcome him into my outstretched arms, no longer caring about getting wet.

“I missed you! I have something for you!” He unfurls his fist to reveal a handful of crumpled dandelions. “I picked these flowers for you at recess! Aren’t they beautiful?”

His recess was hours ago. The offering in his sweaty palm reveals not only his delight in creation but also his desire to share that beauty with someone he loves. The offering of paying attention.

At that moment, I’m glad for the rain to disguise my tears, and I vow to pay more attention to the glory springing up all around me. To disconnect from my phone more often. To be more like my son, who delights in the dandelions at recess, who has not yet learned to call the yellow flower a weed, to squeeze work into downtime, and to focus on self before sharing a gift with another.

When we see children delighting in the seemingly ordinary parts of our lives, we’d do well to remember that God does not despise small beginnings.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus paid attention to the seemingly simple parts of life, coloring His teachings with lilies of the field and ordinary sparrows of the sky, reminding us that God’s infinite love stretches across all of creation. God not only notices but cares deeply for the mundane parts of nature we often take for granted.

Perhaps Jesus told people to become like children because the youngest among us seem to inherently pay attention to God’s presence in all things.

If God cares deeply for what we so often fail to even notice, how much more does God love us? God might just show up right in front of us if only we will slow down enough to notice.

Reflection Questions:
When have you been in a rush and gotten distracted from seeing God’s goodness around you?
Why do you think Jesus used examples like wildflowers and birds to help us understand God’s love?
What is a young child like when they are on a walk? What types of things attract their attention?

Breath Prayer:
Inhale: Help me
Exhale: Pay attention.

Enjoyed this content? Learn more about author Kayla Craig and her book Every Season Sacred here.