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A prayer for not rushing through bedtime

Lord of true rest,

Father of endless patience,

Spirit of perfect peace,

I ask for your strength to flow

through my fatigue.

Here at the end of a long day,

all I want to do is collapse on a couch

and have a minute to myself,

yet my child is yearning for connection,

reaching for my love in these

tender moments before bed.

So before I even dim the lights

and open Goodnight Moon,

would you soften my heart with

your eternal perspective?

I don’t want to miss these moments.

I don’t want to rush through

what I know I will reminisce about when

they are older:

Their soft hair under my chin,

their full weight against my side,

innocent joy in hearing a favorite story,

and their sweet, melodic voice

joining in a bedtime prayer.

I am full of gratitude, Father,

for each opportunity I have

to hug this child goodnight—

I only wish I had more margin

to fully appreciate it.

Desiring rest is not selfish,

and I know you want that for me as well,

so help me give thanks in all circumstances,

knowing that if rest does not come

in the way I imagine it,

It will come through your power

and in your time.

This desire is pointing me toward

a longing for your eternal rest,

and a day when we won’t feel fatigue

or stress, pain or fear—

when the yearnings in my child,

and the yearnings in me,

are all met in your new creation.

For now…

we say good morning,

we say goodnight,

we say thank you for these

tender days.

Amen.

By Alli Dahlgren
produced by Dan Gummel

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