A parent's prayer

Parenting is hard. Don't get me wrong -- I love it -- but sometimes the challenges are overwhelming. I really loved it when my kids were little and followed my lead... but now they are young adults who think for themselves (which is generally a good thing) and we've reached the age and stage where what Mom has to say is often taken with a grain of salt. And Mom herself finds that she rarely knows what to say, or says things she wishes she had said differently...

That's why I have decided to rely on a simple prayer that came to me this week. Things have been going a bit smoother since I've been asking for help every day with these words:

Come, Holy Spirit,
be with me today.
Help me to say
what you want me to say.
Help me to do
what you need me to do.
Let me rest in your love
and let others rest, too.

+Amen.

It really has helped me to feel better about my parenting, this business of calling on the Holy Spirit to help out daily...