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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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March 19, 2012

Praying for your Kids series…Part 3

 
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We are so thrilled to have the lovely Richella from Imparting Grace with us here for Part 3 in our Praying for your Kids series. Before we get to her wonderful insights about how prayer has impacted her family, we want to take a minute to announce a great new linky party that Richella is starting.

We’ll let her tell you about it in her own words…

My blog’s purpose is to do what the title says–to impart grace.
I want my home to be full of grace, too. I want it to be a place where my family, my friends, and my guests feel special and loved and welcome. I’m betting you feel the same way about your home.

To celebrate all the things we do to make our homes places of grace, I’m starting a new weekly linky party: Grace at Home.

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This party will be a place for you to share anything related to making your home a place of grace. I invite you to link posts about DIY Projects, decorating, recipes, hospitality, homemaking tips, parenting, marriage, faith, self-care.
Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I’d like to hear about it.
The party will take place every Thursday, beginning March 22.

We love this idea and we hope you will meet us at Richella’s Grace at Home party this week!
Now, let’s hear what she has to say about:

Praying for your Kids
Prayer is a complex and multi-faceted subject. If you’re like me, you’ve read and heard a lot about prayer. Sometimes it seems that we can spend so much time learning about prayer that we struggle to find time to pray! While this is obviously not a complete definition of prayer, one of my favorite teachings about prayer is very simple: “Prayer is talking with God about what you and He are doing together.”
Surely there’s no activity that more clearly demonstrates our working together with God and our dependence on Him than that of parenthood. “Children are a heritage from the Lord,” we read in Psalm 127, and we know it’s true. Being part of the miracle of creating and sustaining life is one of the greatest privileges God gives us; we know we could never do it on our own.
We love our children so much, and we always want the best for them. But sometimes we find ourselves faced with particularly trying circumstances, and our prayers take on special meaning. For my family, those trying circumstances have often come through the challenges of illness. My husband and two of my sons have a genetic condition called Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder which can involve great difficulty and even danger.

I remember so well the month of April 2008, when our then-14-year-old son Preston had to have major open-heart surgery. For years we had hoped and prayed that medication and monitoring might prevent his needing surgery, but that was not to be. Surgery was necessary to replace his ascending aorta with a polyester graft and his aortic valve with an artificial valve.

I’ll never forget one particular scene from the day of Preston’s surgery. For weeks I had held things together pretty well, doing all the big and little things required of me. And I kept a smile on my face in pre-op, staying calm when they wheeled Preston away and quiet as we took our seats in the waiting room. Several friends had gathered there to wait with Jack and me. We were all chatting cheerfully when one of the nurses called the waiting room from the Operating Room. The receptionist matter-of-factly relayed the message: “The surgeon wants you to know that Preston is safely under anesthesia and they’ve made the incision,” she said. “Thank you very much,” I answered. Then I burst into tears.

As I sobbed, my friends circled around me. My friend Anne took my hand and said, “Let’s pray right now.” Right there, in front of the whole waiting room, loud enough for everyone to hear, my friends prayed. They lifted Preston and the medical team and Jack and me to God, and they asked for every good thing. Five days later, Preston went home from the hospital.
That crisis was one I couldn’t have weathered by myself. I was helpless to heal Preston, helpless to affect the outcome of the surgery, helpless even to keep myself calm and peaceful. God alone could provide what was needed.

Of course, the time of Preston’s surgery was really just a special example of what God does for us every day. Most days we don’t feel as helpless and dependent as I felt that day, but the truth is that we wouldn’t even have air to breathe if it weren’t for the goodness and grace of God. Were it not for God’s grace, we wouldn’t have our children, much less be able to care for them. Oh, yes! Parenthood is definitely something that we and God are doing together!

But to tell the truth, God doesn’t always answer prayers as we’d like. Sometimes terrible things happen to children of parents who pray for them earnestly and faithfully. Theologians of different persuasions offer various explanations for this; they refer to it “the problem of evil.” Some of their explanations are helpful; others are not. The humbling reality is that we don’t understand exactly how God works. We don’t know why some prayers are answered “yes” and some are answered “no.” Some things are a mystery to us.

One thing we can know for sure, though: God loves us. “We know and rely on the love God has for us” (I John 4:16). When it comes to our children, we struggle. We cry. We’re afraid. Sometimes the things we fear come to pass. But when we pray for our children, we’re staking a claim. We’re saying that we trust God. We’re depending on Him for the very best for our children. God alone is strong enough overcome the most difficult of circumstances. 


Not even the things we fear most can separate us from God’s love in Christ (Romans 8:38-39).

As we pray for our children, we’re becoming people who know–really know–that God is good. We thank Him for blessing us with our kids. We humbly rely on Him as we do the work with which He’s entrusted us. We humble ourselves before Him and spend time with Him, and He changes our hearts to be more like the heart of Christ. As we become more Christlike, we want to spend more time with him. Then when we spend more time with Him, He changes our hearts some more. Just like parenting, our growth in Christlikeness is completely dependent upon God–but God has given us work to do. We are working together with God. We have a lot to talk with Him about, don’t we?


Thank you so much for sharing from your heart Richella! You have given us a lot to think about as we continue to grow in our understanding of how much more God loves our children than even we do. It seems impossible and yet that is the same love he feels for each and every one of us!

Now, here are the Biblical Virtues to be Praying for your Kids this week:

Sunday– Generosity: “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (1 Timothy 6:18-19)
Monday– Peace-loving: “Father let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Romans 14:19)
Tuesday– Joy: “May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
Wednesday– Perseverance: “Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Thursday– Humility: “God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.” (Titus 3:2)
Friday– Compassion: “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.” (Colossians 3:12)
Saturday– Responsibility: “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load. ” (Galatians 6:5)
A big thank you again to Richella from Imparting Grace for being our special guest here today and thanks to all of you for joining us for another Simply Sunday at the Fence!






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7 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Praying for your Kids, Simply Sundays

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Comments

  1. LDH says

    March 18, 2012 at 3:09 PM

    Such a great post from Richella written with faith and a tender heart.

    My post this week on Think on These Things is also about praying for our (older) kids. I would love for you to share this with us there.

    Kindly, Lorraine

    Reply
  2. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    March 18, 2012 at 6:34 PM

    Praise the Lord for His Love, Mercy and Grace. Beautiful post and such a touching story. I will keep her son in prayer. God has much ahead for him. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  3. Dayle @ A Collection of This and That says

    March 18, 2012 at 6:59 PM

    Beautiful post.

    Reply
  4. Linda says

    March 18, 2012 at 7:17 PM

    I love the Lord and I love how He works everything together for our good! Even,…and especially,… the hard things. I love Richella…and I loved her post. She always encourages me. Thank you for asking her to be your special quest!

    Linda @ Truthful Tidbits

    Reply
  5. Ange says

    March 18, 2012 at 10:40 PM

    I recently discovered RichellA’S BLOG AND lovE HER HEARt. sorry for the cRAZy typing, my laptop IS ON ITS LAST LEGS. i LOVE YOur hearts and how you share the Lord AND HIS LOVE FOR US ON YOUR BLOG AND ALSO INTRODUCTING US TO NEW BLOGS WHO SHARE THE SAME LOVE. THANKS FOR BLESSING ME TODAY, LOVE YOU GUYS!

    Reply
  6. elizabeth says

    March 18, 2012 at 11:30 PM

    I really needed and appreciate this post today. My daughter, son in law, and two grandchildren leave Tuesday as missionaries to Ghana.

    Reply
  7. Richella says

    March 18, 2012 at 11:58 PM

    Heather and Vanessa, thank you so much for letting me participate in this series! Parenting is such a privilege, but it’s definitely not something we can do our own, is it? God intends us to lean on Him and help one another. Thank you for making your blog a place for people to connect and encourage one another.

    I appreciate the two of y’all very much!

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
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…It was just the beginning!
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Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
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What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
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If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

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