A Parent's PrayerНамуна

A Parent’s Prayer of Repentance

Dear Jesus, I must have disappointed you today. I woke up grumpy and stressed. To my tired eyes, all the opportunities you gave me to thankfully serve looked instead like burdensome obligations.

My kids, for one. I confess that I did my best to make them feel responsible for my bad morning. (If I didn’t have to pack their lunches! If they had done their homework the night before! If they didn’t hog the bathroom!) I charged around the house like a cantankerous rhino. I snagged my favorite pants in the process. It took a leap of logic, Lord, but I blamed a kid for that one too.

The day spiraled down from there. I was a rude driver. An impatient employee. A resentful housewife. And when my kids came home, they gave me what I deserved.

A big hug.

Wait. What?

Yup, a hug. And it melted me. Their unconditional love drew an apology from my heart; a resolve to do better, to start over, to honor their mercy.

Thank you for these children, Lord. Thank you for the way you used them to demonstrate your love. A love that is undeserved and wholly merciful. A love that chooses to forget my sins. A love that draws repentance from my stubborn heart. A love that inspires me to serve with thanks and joy. Amen.

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious... He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalms 103:8,10).