eyes.to.See - wisdom

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, 

and it will be given to you."

James 1:5

"He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."

Daniel 2:21

Wisdom.

I ask for wisdom in my prayers, mostly because parenting is hard.  It is hard to feel confident in your decisions, and it is hard because you are constantly bombarded with opportunities to get it wrong. (it feel that way to me)  Every time my child has a need, I can choose to meet that need or not.  I can meet that need begrudgingly, or graciously.  I can make them feel welcome & loved, or I can make them feel inferior & in my way.  I can get it wrong 8 ways and right 1 way.  I wish I could get it right all the time, and be a perfect mother, but I know that is impossible.  I'm not capable of getting it right always, but God is.

God is the giver of wisdom.  I know that when I approach each new situation, I can ask for His strength to have the proper perspective, to give what is needed, and to do so in love.

We pray for our sons at bedtime each night, and usually, we pray for wisdom, integrity, and strength.  Those specific qualities seem to come to the forefront when we think of what we desire for our sons to be as they grow.  Integrity is a difficult trait to uphold, mostly because of how much honestly it requires, as well as being above board where others would not be.  Not that many people in our society have real integrity, but we pray our sons would.  Strength can be found in many different forms.  Physical strength would be something valuable, again for many reasons, but even more than physical strength, emotional & spiritual & mental strength is valuable.

and lastly, WISDOM.  We pray for wisdom, because it is one of the best gifts you can receive.  Discernment, knowledge, & understanding are all so important, but in my own definition, they come with the package of wisdom.  Or rather, wisdom allows one to have discernment, knowledge, and understanding.  I do hope our boys are smart, but it is not as important as Godly Wisdom.

Lord, please give me wisdom in raising our sons.  Let my tongue be slow to speak & my ears be open to listen.  Give me compassion for my sons in their physical needs, and let me serve them in gladness.  Help me to teach them all these important lessons of childhood, and teach me over again Lord.  Give me wisdom to see the real important things in this life, and not be fooled into thinking that it's more important to clean my house than to care for my sons.  Lord help me not to sin in anger, but to love like you would love.  Forgive all my failures, and help me to see my sons with your eyes.  Show me what to do when it feels hard.  Lord, help me not feel defeated by the battles we wage, but to know the fight is worth it.  Amen.