ann kiemel

three a.m.
the light under this mother's door, shining.
when one of the children got up to go
to the bathroom, and saw the light leaking
out, each would know that their mother
was on her knees, praying.

prayer.
the power of it.
facing God. doing business with Him
because, in the end, He is the only One
who can protect and guide and lift up
our children and us as parents.

every night,
as jan and i crawled into bed,
my father would put all else aside, and
begin to walk back and forth, outside our
bedroom door, praying and beseeching God
in our behalf.

a parent committed to prayer.
talking literally to Jesus Himself.
reaching out to touch the hem of
God's robe of righteousness. agony
and worry and concerns only a parent
can fully grasp.

how often have i run into my walk-in closet.
burying my face in a basket of clothes, weeping
over one of my children who is in a very hard place.
oh, Jesus is my best Friend. i count on Him.
He can do what no amount of money can. no
breadth of contacts i have to pull strings with.

no, we don't manipulate God.
but we know He is the only One who knows what
is really right for a certain time and place.

whether in the dark of night,
or sitting on the patio or driving across town,
it is so simple. in the silence of our thoughts,
we slip into God's presence and are comforted
as this powerful, strong Savior of the universe
wraps Himself around us, and promises peace;
that all is already covered.

to be "silent..." knowing God loves us and our
children more than we can imagine.

so you feel the sun on your skin? it's God.
have you noticed the tickle of breeze? God's
reminder that He really IS big enough to take
us all safely down the road. especially our children.