What Elijah’s Prayer Can Teach Us About Motherhood

Thank You, Lord.

Last month my oldest daughter began her journey away from home. She moved in with a friend and is attending college. Sophomore year. Wow. She has a lot of responsibility and adjustments. Who am I kidding? I have a lot of adjustments.

And I have been praying fire from heaven to fan the flame of her faith and grow her into an even more godly young woman! And maybe even some protective fire raining around her 24/7!

Her calls and texts are full of positive things that bless me to hear.

Thank You, Lord.

And these past few years, I have watched my oldest son exceed my expectations. He has worked hard in school and at his job. He is paying his way through college and providing for himself. He is a young man growing into a good, good man. It is hard to let go and it is hard to not be in a position to really step in and help him.

I’ve been praying fire from heaven would consume my guilt and frustration and let me simply enjoy the man God is making my son to be. And instead I’m focusing on praying for fire from heaven to light his path and lead him.

Thank You, Lord.

I know God is answering these prayers. I might not be seeing actual flames answering … OK, definitely not—probably wouldn’t want to, in all honesty—but I see Him answering in sweet ways.

Like the soft glow of a candle, I feel His joy when I hug, read a text from, hold hands with, snuggle with or talk to one of my children.

Like the effervescent light from a sparkler, I feel His love in the eyes of my smiling children.

Like the beam of a flashlight, I sense His leading.

Like the warmth of a fire, I feel His presence and the peace that I need as I wrestle with my circumstances and how those impact my children.

I’d still like to call down some fire from heaven to show everyone without a doubt that God answers prayers. But maybe instead of calling down fire, I can speak about my God and how He cares for me and mine.

I know He can send some fire down, but right now I’m just so thankful He sent Himself down.

So thankful that no matter how I struggle or what I think or how I act, God loves me.

And no matter what I may think or sense or wonder, I know He loves me and He is working in my life and the lives of my children.

So Lord, if You’d like to send some fire down that would be amazing … light up the altar of my heart.

But I’m okay God … whatever You decide.

I know that if fire blazing down from heaven was best, You would send it my way.

I know You love me, and that’s a flashing-lightning, flames-from-heaven, dry-up-all-the-water, light-the-logs-on-fire kind of love.

Pretty spectacular.

Sue Birdseye is the author of When Happily Ever After Shatters: Seeing God in the Midst of Divorce and Single Parenting published by Tyndale/Focus on the Family. Sue is a single mom of 5 children from 8 to 21-years-old.