Oh God!
Help us make it through this week without showing our children how weary we are over the curveballs of life. Give us the strength to carry out the tasks that we must do and to be at peace about releasing the non-essential tasks for a later time.
Help us to listen when our children share about their lives in school. May we encourage them to find the bright points in each day and may we push ourselves to lead by example in this area.
Help me to support my spouse in their career just as they have supported me. Give each of us the flexibility to occasionally take on more of the load in support of the other.
Keep us healthy (physically and emotionally) as we try to make it to each event on our schedule and deliver us from our impatience with traffic, disorganization ( our own and others), and the geographical distance that we cover in a given day.
Give us the creativity and strength to make time where we can come together as a family without devices, theme-parks, and media.
Guard our children from those who would seek to tear them down. Lift their hearts with your light and hope so that they may continue to dream big dreams and set lofty goals.
When each day is done, help us to find rest so that we may begin each day refreshed in the knowledge that you love us, you forgive our foul-ups, and will support us with the dawn of each new day.
Amen.
Rev. Shawn J. Smith 