Every night before I go to bed, I check on my children. I stand at their beds and look down on them. I watch their even, steady breathing… and I pray for them while they sleep. Usually, as a mother, I find I am wanting to pray that their lives will be easy. I pray for blessings… I pray that they are spared from difficulties and hardships..

It’s occurred to me, lately, that perhaps I might think about changing my prayer, though.

I have recently realized that hardships in life are inevitable. Everyone encounters hardship…and this will include my children. My praying for the absence of hardships for them is not necessarily going to help them. It is quite naïve to think anything differently.

So, I am making an effort to change my bedtime prayers. Life is hard. Life can be tough. So instead of praying for ease and blessings only… I will be praying for strength above all. For deep roots that my children will use to draw strength from God. Hopefully, this will prepare them for the inevitable hardships and will help them withstand any harsh wind.