Smile upon him

I'm sitting here watching Jack bat at the toys dangling above him (and actually hit them) and I'm in awe of this little creation that Kyle and I have been given to take care of. Every so often I'm overwhelmed with a wide range of emotions at what a huge responsibility and privilege it is to be entrusted with him.

I found this prayer in a book of prayer that I've been looking through a lot this week. It's a book full of hundreds of written prayers and I've been using it this week to find words to pray when I have been at a total loss. I stumbled on this prayer tonight:

Oh Lord my God, shed the light of your love on my child. Keep him
safe from all illness and all injury. Enter his tiny soul, and comfort him
with your peace and joy. He is too young to speak to me, and to my ears
his cries and gurgles are meaningless nonsense. But to you ears they are
prayers. His cries are cries for your blessing. His gurgles are
gurgles of delight at your grace. Let him as a child learn the way of your
commandments. As an adult let him live the full span of life, serving your
kingdom on earth. And finally in his old age, let him die in the sure and
certain knowledge of your salvation. I do not ask that he be wealthy,
powerful or famous. Rather I ask that he be poor in spirit, humble in
action, and devout in worship. Dear Lord, smile upon him.

Johann Starck, 1680 - 1756