Eternal love, far wiser, deeper, fuller than my own,
Cover my girl with yourself.
Keep her, Lord, as you would have her,
Drive her into your everlasting arms.
Your love is not fickle but steadfast.
Be her rock and shelter in the storm.
But Lord, I know also your love does not always protect from suffering,
For you did not protect your own son from death on a cross.
But in your love, Lord, suffering always finds redemption.
Help her learn to trust and live,
To cling to your love in her times of heartache and struggle.
Lord, fill her tender heart,
With longing for you and your goodness.
Let her be touched by the suffering of others,
Let her heart be filled with compassion,
To be like you, Lord, and live in love.
Lord, soothe her turbulent emotions,
Ground her in your love.
Help her build her life on your sure foundation,
Secure, at rest and peace,
With the assurance that you are her father,
And your love never quits.
Lord, help her grow in patience,
That practice of love in everyday life.
To exchange her own desires for your will,
To learn to give herself, to serve, to offer,
A fragrant sacrifice of love to you.
Help her grow to know you,
To bring you her questions,
And the cares of her heart,
To find in you her refuge,
A safe place she can run to when the world is dark.
Keep her, keep her, Lord,
Close to you.
Because she will not always be close to me.
I give up what was never really mine –
This precious, beautiful soul,
Into your eternal, ever-loving hands,
Trusting her care to Someone who loves her even more than I do.
I praise you for the gift,
Of mothering her soul.
I praise you for your great love,
That is far greater than anything I could ever imagine
For her and for me.
In Jesus’s name,
Amen
Photo by Joseph Sintum on Unsplash
