A Mother's Prayer
My baby is buying a house! Now granted, the boy is over six foot tall, shaves everyday and drives a fire truck for a living, nonetheless, he is still my baby. Can any of you Mother's relate??

Mr. P. and I had the distinct honor of being asked to accompany our now young man as he went searching for that all important first home. Seems he valued our opinions over the subject which does this Mama's heart sooo good because during his teen years Mama and Daddy were almost as "dumb as dirt." Now granted, he never spoke those words but I'm fairly certain the thought did cross his mind now and then!

He will be sharing this house with a most special lady that God has surely sent "made to order" just for him. If ever two were meant to be together these two were. Looking at them and seeing how much in love they are touches me in a way I just can't describe. In a way it reminds me of me and Mr. P. when we were young. They have so much of life ahead of them and I am so glad they have found "the one" to share the journey with. The road isn't always smooth but it is always so much nicer to travel down life's pathway next to the one that you love.

It was always one of my prayers that my children would find their God ordained mate like I did. I couldn't have hand-picked a better girl for my son and she is certainly high on this Mama's list because she sees and appreciates all the good things about my son, things I always knew as a Mama were there, they just needed to be "brought out" by the right girl.

Anyway, I digress, as usual!! As we came upon this house I started to feel like we were entering sacred ground. Each room represented for me a specific prayer and desire for my son. As we entered the kitchen my prayer was that his family would always have enough food to eat and never take for granted the gifts they had been given. Resources would be used wisely and waste would be few.

As we entered the dining room my prayer was that they would always have friends and family to sit around the table and share a meal with. I could see my son leading his family in prayer as they would thank God for the wonderful bounty he had provided them. Conversations would flow as well as the laughter. Good times, good food, great blessings.

I also started thinking about traditions. As my husband and I came together we each came with traditions from our own families. Once we joined together it was time to make new traditions as our little family was starting. My prayer for my son was that he would start and uphold his own family traditions. These traditions might incorporate traditions from their past and maybe not, the important thing is they would become treasure memories for his own family. Traditions are such an important element of good family life and they provide a much needed sense of security.

As we entered the living room I prayed for a sense of belonging. I prayed that each family member would feel like an important and special part of the family. Each member would be aware of how precious they are in God's sight and how precious they are to their family. I prayed that this room would be one of precious family time spent together that would be filled with much joy and laughter. Although I knew there would be tears at times I prayed that my son would know how to wipe them away and if he couldn't do that he would have the wisdom to know how to comfort and ease the pain. I also prayed that they would have wonderful friends in which they could invite into this room for fun and fellowship. I could picture in my mind the many joyous occasions they would have.

As we entered the bedroom we were entering holy ground. I prayed that they would always have one another to love and cherish. I prayed they would cleave only to each other and remember the sacredness of their vows. If it was the good Lord's will I prayed they would have children that they could raise and love. I prayed that they would raise these children to know the Lord.

As we started to leave the little house I prayed that there would always be a light on in the window to welcome home those family members who were away. It would be a sign, a signal, expressing the thought of "we miss you, come home." It is here that you can leave the burdens of the world behind and have people that will love and care for you. It is here that "your sorrows are our sorrows"and "your joys are ours." It is here that you can lay your weary head and rest in the knowledge that you are indeed, home. It is here where family is important, where you are loved, and where God is worshipped. It is here that you know you are home.