My Prayer for Lucy

My little girl is now 9 months old.  To most of you, that still seems little.  And it is.  But to me, I feel like she is grown.  Ok, so I'm exaggerating a bit.  I walked into the sitter's house to get her yesterday and she was standing up playing with a little girl at a lego table.  Ummm, excuse me.  My baby is still supposed to be little enough to be carried around.  She is literally growing like a weed.  The days can seem long and then fly by all at the same time.

I stumbled on this blog the other day written by Ann Voskamp.  She wrote this prayer and when I read it I could barely see it through my tear-soaked eyes.  I know Lucy is still little, but I want to pray this prayer over her sweet little 9 month old life.  Because I know all too soon, my 9 month old will be 19.  And I all want for her is to know Christ the way I know him.  

Ann's original post can be found here.

Father who breathed into this daughter . .

I pray for this girl being formed into eternity . .

May the wind always be in her hair

May the sky always be wide with hope above her

And may all the hills be an exhilaration 

the trials but a trail,

all the stones but stairs to God.

God, clothe this girl in a gown of grace

Grace, the only dress that makes beautiful,

the style of Your spirit.

Nourish her on the comfort food of you Word,

Word, that makes her crave more of Christ,

have hunger pangs for Him.

Enclose her in communion with you

You, love who makes her love, who folds her heart into a roof

that absorbs storms for souls,

that make her tongue speak on the words that make souls stronger.

Make her vocation in this world simply be translation.

Translating every enemy into esteemed guest,

Translating every countenance into the face of Christ,

Translating every burden into blessing.

When it's hard to be patient . . . make her willing to suffer

When it's ridiculous to be thankful . . . make her see all is grace

When it's radical to forgive. .  . make her live the foundation of our faith

And when it's time to work . . . make her a holy wonder.

May she be bread and feed many with her life and her laughter

May be be thread and mend brokenness and knit hearts

May she be dead to all ladders and never go higher, only lower, to the lonely and the least and the longing

Her led of the Spirit to lead many to the Cross

that leads to the tomb wildly empty.

OH, AND RAISE ME, LORD, FROM THE DEADNESS OF MY OWN SINS TO LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL GIRL LIKE YOU DO . . .

I love you Lucy!