here is the prayer

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I stir in the dark before dawn. Black trees outlined through our windows slowly sharpen into focus as the sky lightens into blue behind them. I slip between sleep and waking, but reluctantly leave the dreams behind for good. I think of turning towards the prayer book on the nightstand and resting my eyes on a morning psalm.

Then the baby starts to rouse.

Gentle at first, waking as I am, but soon more insistent, his coos rising to cries on the monitor. I slide out from under the warm comforter and pad down the hall to scoop him up, snuggling his fleece covered limbs into the curl of my chest. All I can see in the dim nursery light is his smile.

I forget about the morning litany waiting back on my nightstand. Here is the prayer.

. . .

We laugh in low voices as he get dressed for work. The big kids are still sleeping, and as I splash my face with warm water, I contemplate the sweet prospect of a quiet kitchen and a hot cup of tea. Maybe I could pull out my journal and write for a bit before they wake. I slip on thick wool socks for the cold winter floors downstairs and turn the knob on our bedroom door.

Then I find a small boy waiting right outside, gazing up at me with wide eyes.

I sink to my knees and without a word he folds himself into my lap, clutching his beloved stuffed animal to his chest. We snuggle in the silence for a few minutes, and then he whispers, “Mama, sing ‘Morning Has Broken.’”

I forget about the journal downstairs. Here is the prayer.

. . .

The morning tumbles headlong into a cacophony of kid sounds: laughter and whining and cries and squeals. So many questions and complaints and requests to help, to watch, to get, to come here please.

My head is spinning by noon, and I’m dreaming of naptime quiet and a chance to center my thoughts. I serve their lunch plates piled high with favorite food, and as I sink into my own chair, I’m tempted to tune out while they eat.

Then I see their small faces in front of me, watching me expectantly.

I take a deep breath and smile back. I lean my elbows onto the table and ask them each what they want to do after nap. Soon we’re sharing silly rhymes and they’re teasing each other with nicknames. We share cookies after plates are cleaned, and I give silent thanks for the gift of lively kids at my table.

I forget about the centering meditation. Here is the prayer.

. . .

Bathtime always finds my energy at its lowest. Bedtime is teasing, just around the corner, but there are faces to wash and teeth to brush and nails to clip and pajamas to tug on tiny feet.

I pray for patience as I wrangle the wriggling, giggling boys into the bath. I can almost taste the freedom that comes with closing the last bedroom door. I imagine curling up on the couch with the warm dog burrowed at my feet and a good book to lift my thoughts.

Then they start to splash each other with shouts and smiles.

I can’t help but laugh at their simple delights. The water splatters the walls and soaks my jeans, but their mischievous grins make it all worth it. I remember that this was what we wanted all along – a house brimming with life and laughter.

I forget about the devotional downstairs. Here is the prayer.

. . .

Maybe the secret to prayer with small children is not memorizing the Our Father or teaching them grace before meals or pulling them to church on Sunday.

Maybe prayer is about abiding. About presence. About seeing God in small moments.

The promise we make to our children echoes Jesus’ words of love: And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.

Maybe the prayer we teach them – the practice of God’s presence that we hope will sustain their lives – can be exactly this, too.

Prayer as beholding. Prayer as presence. Prayer as promise.

. . .

After books and lullabies and God-bless-everyone, I linger a few last minutes in the rocking chair with the baby who woke up just as the older two were winding down. His tiny head tucks under my chin as we rock gently, and I savor the sweetness of a baby in my arms. In the dim glow of the nightlight, his pudgy fingers float up to trace my hair. He turns to me with dark eyes smiling.

Finally I glimpse the whole truth, the God-soaked-ness of each moment with them today.

Finally I am here. God is here, too. Here is the prayer.

A version of this reflection originally appeared at Practicing Families

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12 Comments

  1. Nancy McKeown-Brand on 31 January 2017 at 11:14 am

    Oh Laura, how blessed you are with the gift of writing! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your talents. I’m a grandmother’s age now, but still love the beauty of young motherhood. I’ve got lots of nieces and nephews who are in the childbearing years and I will share your page with all of them. Thank you.

  2. Emily on 11 December 2016 at 8:49 am

    So true. Saving this for my 4-year-old daughter who often talks about being a mother.

    • motheringspirit on 11 December 2016 at 11:41 am

      Thank you, Emily!

  3. Nina on 3 August 2015 at 1:34 pm

    I am a pre-natal yoga teacher and I stumbled upon your site while looking for a blessing for my students that were about to give birth. I clicked on Here is the Prayer to see what that was all about. Exactly perfect. My children are grown, but that is the way my days went when they were small and throughout our busy lives together. Thank you for putting it into words.

    • motheringspirit on 3 August 2015 at 1:48 pm

      Thank you so much, Nina! I love that you came here looking for blessings for your students. My prenatal yoga classes have been a HUGE part of my preparation for birth, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m sure you are such a gift for your students as well!

  4. Julie on 4 March 2015 at 9:35 am

    Laura, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this. As I finished, my 3 year old came into my room (waking up earlier than expected.) After reading this, I was in a perfect place to embrace it, and embrace him. What a wonderful start to the day it was.

  5. Anna Liesemeyer (@inhonorofdesign) on 16 February 2015 at 8:03 am

    Just wanted to thank you for sharing this reflection. As a mother of 3 (almost 4), I was interrupted three times before I could even get through the post. ha ha! Oh how it was just what I needed to read, and it made my eyes swell up with tears. Blessings!

    • Laura on 17 February 2015 at 10:19 pm

      Anna, you are so welcome! I am touched by your words, too! You are doing such good work. Blessings on your (growing) family!

  6. Jody on 10 February 2015 at 10:06 am

    I think this is one of your best ever! Love reading them all and enjoyed your book!

    • Laura on 17 February 2015 at 10:22 pm

      Thank you so much, Jody! I am grateful for your kind words and delighted to hear you enjoyed the book!

  7. mamie on 9 February 2015 at 11:06 am

    It is so refreshing…it refreshes me…to read this. Thank you for putting such everyday moments into perspective and supporting and encouraging us mothers who really need to see these moments as prayers bringing us closer to God. I used to think that if I wasn’t praying an Our Father or Hail Mary, that I didn’t have a prayer life. Your blog and ‘Everyday Sacerament’ have helped me and my relationship with God (and in turn, with my children and husband) immensely. Thank you 🙂

    • Laura on 17 February 2015 at 10:23 pm

      Thank you so much, Mamie! Your comment made my day (even though I’m just now getting time to sit down and respond!). I couldn’t agree more with what you say – our prayer lives are not defined by the number of prayers we say, but by the way we live our lives as prayer. Blessings on you and your family!

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