A Breath Prayer

Do you ever find yourself in a situation that calls for God to move, but you just don't have it within you to call on Him? I'm not necessarily talking about asking God for direction on major life decisions, or needing physical healing from a longterm ailment. I'm talking a "Where in the world did this come from? I do NOT have the time or the mental and physical ability to do with this right now," situation. Maybe your washer started flooding. Maybe you are already running late to school or work and now there's a train that just seems to be at a total stop on the tracks in front of you.

Or maybe you are sitting on the floor with a kid who isn't feeling so well. That's where I found myself. One day this past week, one of our children wasn't feeling great and, rest assured, EVERYONE in the house knew it, simply by the volume from which they yelled about not feeling well. There I was, sitting on the floor next to them, trying to be the calmest person in the room and remain composed. "Take a deep breath. It's okay. I'm right here. You got this. You're going to be okay. Momma is right here."

But the shenanigans went on and my patience grew thin. It was through gritted teeth and a shorter tone that I found myself saying "No really. You're okay. Come on. You're gonna be fine."

As I was on my last leg, though it seemed silly at the time, I started praying one word sentences out loud. "God please help them feel better. Jesus please help them feel better. Jesus please. God please help them feel better."

It was out of total desperation, and maybe even a last ditch effort to not totally lose all of my cool in the moment. But when I opened my eyes from repeating that sentence five or six times, I saw my child, in total faith saying, "Jesus, please help me feel better. Jesus, make me feel better." They even said, "Jesus, do what my momma says and help me feel better." I'm sure Jesus chuckled at that.

But in that moment, I was reminded how much we, as the grownups in a child's life, have influence over everything they do. And I say "grownups" because it is not limited to parents. If you are around children regularly, they are going to watch and pick up on how you deal with hard times. Now, do I wish I would have turned to prayer more quickly? Of course! Did I have to go back later and ask for forgiveness from my child after raising my voice in frustration in the moment? Yes. But am I also encouraged (and maybe a little challenged) to turn to prayer in front of my children? YES! Because I don't want them to think that calling on God is reserved for church, the dinner table and bedtime. Because even when we are sick and all we can get out is one sentence, we can call on the Lord.