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“The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers.”

1 Kings 8:58 (ESV)

I opened my eyes, and for the first time in a while, I felt refreshed. My iPhone clock read 5:17 am, which hypothetically gave me plenty of time to enjoy a piping hot cup of coffee and quiet time with the Lord before the rest of my family woke up.

Jackpot! I thought, as I threw on my pink robe and fixed my messy ponytail.

I made my way into the kitchen, optimistic about the peaceful time I was about to enjoy until I heard a sound I didn’t expect to hear. Crying. Our swaddled baby girl, Caroline, had wiggled her way to the side of the crib during the night and was hitting her head on the headboard.

No big deal, this will only take a minute to fix, I thought. I opened Caroline’s bedroom door and repositioned her into a more comfortable place away from the headboard. Surely this will calm her down. Piece of cake.

Except it wasn’t a piece of cake. Caroline continued to cry. Minute by minute, she expressed unhappiness from her crib for the entire house to hear.

Ugh, Caroline! Just go to sleep! I thought.

But going back to sleep was not in Caroline’s plan that morning. She didn’t care that I had dreams of finishing a hot cup of coffee and opening my Bible in a picture-perfect setting like some sort of Christian influencer on social media. She didn’t care that I would most likely have to microwave my coffee at least three times that morning to get a hot sip. Caroline had needs that needed to be met whether I had the morning of my dreams or not. I was not happy about all of this, and it showed.

Have you been in a similar spot?

We all have hopes and plans, but life has a way of redirecting our attention, doesn’t it? It’s in those moments of distraction and disruption that in my flesh, I’m tempted to have my own temper tantrum. It’s also in those moments I’m reminded of a prayer King Solomon prayed for himself and his people in 1 Kings 8:57-58 (ESV), “The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers.”

The line I find most helpful is, “that he may incline our hearts to him.” The Message version of this verse reads, “May he keep us centered and devoted to him.”

I don’t know about you, but I need to pray King Solomon’s prayer over and over again when it comes to parenting. My attitude, tone of voice, and word choices don’t always reflect obedience to the Lord. King Solomon’s prayer guides moms like you and me to center and devote ourselves to Him so that we can walk in obedience. Simply put, when things don’t go our way, we can still respond in God’s way.

Mama, as you struggle to find time for yourself, to finish a hot cup of coffee, or to navigate heavy battles in life, know you can borrow Solomon’s quick prayer at any moment: “May he keep us centered and devoted to him.”

Your fellow Able Mom,

Mandy Johnson

Father, please keep me centered and devoted to you today. Distractions fight to take my heart and mind off of you, but I ask that in those moments you remind me of what matters most, my faith and trust in you. Amen.

Connect with Mandy:

mandy@palmsofjoy.com

IG: @mandycjohnson

https://www.mandycjohnson.com/

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