Dear heavenly Father,
We know that you have loved _________ since before the world began and that her name is engraved on the palms of your hands. Thank you for entrusting her to us.
Please hold on to her hands, now little fist balls, as they grow. Please help her to use them to do your work in a lost world; to love, to care, to build, to give, to receive.
Please hold on to her voice and ears, now full of baby babble, as she grows to be your voice in a broken world. Help her be a good listener. Help her long to hear you and talk to you. Fill her with a thirst to know you better.
Please hold on to her feet, so that when she learns to walk she will follow in your footsteps. Please help her not to run from you, and if she does to always know the way to return.
Please hold on to her head, now full of baby thoughts, so that as she grows, she can think your thoughts and see the world clearly. Help her to give her creativity, her analysis, and her understanding to you.
Please hold on to her eyes so that she can see the truth, even when it is hidden. As she grows, help her to see her world with your eyes. Help her be wise and follow fruitful paths.
Please collect her tears Lord, so that when she is sad, she knows that she can turn to you, the source of all love and goodness. Please give her friends who will love her and hold her in those times.
Please hold on to her heart, now so full of smiles, so that she is able to love what is good and reject what is evil, both in herself and in the world. Please help her to be able to say sorry. Please help her to know you and to lose herself in your love.
Please hold ______ tightly in your arms forever.
Amen
This prayer was written by Jane Dove for her new granddaughter Emilia Grace. It provides a beautiful model for new Mums in how to pray for their baby or small child.
How do you usually respond to someone who is wrestling with spiritual concerns? We’re likely to listen, pray, offer care, counsel, and comfort from God’s word. But (very) occasionally, this is entirely the wrong approach. That’s because the need for ongoing reassurance may indicate an underlying mental health condition known as scrupulosity – a sub-type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
“I don’t know how to relate. What will I say? I don’t understand them!” Have you thought this about a different generation? This article from Amy Yeung suggests a framework that could help us care well, no matter what generation someone is from.
Pastoral care takes place in many different contexts and capacities. You might offer care to those in your family, your friendship network and your church community. A toolbox of resources can equip you in these various contexts and roles.
Caring is not so much about fixing a need or solving a problem – it’s about showing up and being there as a willing servant of Christ. It lets another know they are seen and valued.
