Parenting Through Prayer: My Week Without Rooster

This has been a bittersweet week for me. It's my first week away from Rooster. On Monday the kids and I went to stay with my parents while my husband was out of town. However, Wednesday I brought Cupcake home and decided to let Rooster spend the rest of the week at his grandparents' house. 

It really wasn't a tough decision. We knew he would be safe, happy, and well-cared for, but it was still a little sad. He's my baby. I doubted whether he was ready for this separation.  I doubted if I was ready for this separation. What if he needed me and I wasn't there, unable to pick him up, dust him off, and kiss his sweet little head?

As I drove away Wednesday, I cried because my baby is becoming a little boy, and I can't always be with him. I cried because I was scared of what might happen, what could go wrong. 

In those moments of sadness and fear, I prayed. 

I prayed that God would watch over my son and give him safety. I prayed that God would guard his heart from all manner of evil. I prayed that God would give his caregivers vigilance and wisdom to parent him in my absence. 

In praying for Rooster I was reminded of the awesome responsibility we have as parents. My children are too young to pray for themselves. They are too young to understand who God is and what he has done for them. They need someone to pray for them, to petition God on their behalf, and who better than their mother.  

It's easy to get so caught up in parenting that I forget that my most important job as a mother is to daily bring my children to the feet of Jesus. Yes, I need to discipline them to know right and wrong. I need to train them in obedience and righteousness. I need to educate them and teach them in the fear of the Lord. 

But first I need to pray.   

Prayer is not limited by location. Whether my children are in my arms or in a different country, I can still parent them through prayer, and through Christ those prayers have the power to heal, comfort, and protect. I may not be the one tucking Rooster in this week, but in praying for him I can still show him love and ensure his best in every situation.

And prayer bring peace. Worry vanishes when we have a proper understanding of God's love and sovereignty in our lives. He hears and answers our prayers for ourselves and for our children.

So dear sweet Rooster, as you lay down to sleep, as you splash in the mud, and fill your cheeks with cheerios, know that I am praying for you and leaving you in the hands of an Almighty God. It is God who watches over you; God who provides for you; and God who hears our prayers.


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The Modest Mom/Mommy Moments/My Pregnancy Journal/Growing Home/Road to 31/Raising Mighty Arrows