Nightly Ritual

Night after night, consistently, unfailingly…I’ve watched her for years, and her routine ritual is entirely predictable at bedtime. Slowly, painstakingly, she limps to the doorway of my son’s room. She looks in on our child and bows her head in prayer for him.

If you’ve never known someone partially paralyzed, it may be challenging to understand just how much effort something like this takes. Yet, it has become a bedtime ritual that my wife performs regularly. She may have missed a night or two over the years, but I was unaware of it if she has.

Night-time Ritual

This ritual began when our children were tiny. When we lived in a ranch-style home, she went to the doorway of each child’s room. Now that we live in a drafty old farmhouse, there are a couple of steps down into the area where the other bedrooms are. She makes her way to that doorway and prays for them there.

On more than one occasion, I have stood a ways off with a lump in my throat as she connects with the divine on behalf of her offspring. It’s a holy time, and when she is communicating with her Creator, I try to be as quiet as possible so that she’s not disturbed. We both pray for our kids, mind you, but this before-bed prayer ritual and connection for her is a special reminder to our children and me. It reminds us that some things in life belong between God and us alone.

Unflinching Devotion

I marvel at her steadfast devotion. I know in my heart that God smiles when she visits Him about each child entrusted to her. There is power in her nightly supplications. As her husband (and the father of her children), I can think of nothing else that assures me that a power greater than myself is watching out for my kids.

If you liked this, you might also like Praying for Pacifiers 

Michael Temple writes from North Dakota.

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