Re-thinking Prayer

Anyone who knows me today has probably heard me say that I hope Reese doesn't inherit my teeth. Anyone who knew me prior to 1997 knows why. From 3rd to 8th grade I had one of the worst cases of "snaggletooth" I have ever (to this day) seen on a child. I had mostly straight teeth except for my front right tooth, which jutted both forward and sideways in a way that made it impossible for anyone not to notice (or stare). Needless to say, I was teased a lot and junior high was the worst time of my life. Shortly after Reese was born, I started praying that she wouldn't inherit such an awful feature.

Then last weekend, I went to the Hearts at Home conference (an annual must for any Christian mom) where I watched a woman speak about losing her sight as a young adult. A 47-year-old married mother of two, she spoke with so much passion for life and so much faith in God. I was sitting there in tears thinking, "This woman has not been able to see for over 2 decades. She has not seen her husband or her children and she will never see her grandchildren. Yet, she has not allowed that to break her or to keep her from having a happy life." And here I am worried that Reese will have bad teeth? Shame. On. Me. I was worried about a minor, temporary, fixable problem. I never thought about praying that she will be able to see, or that she will be able to walk, or that she will have her health. I totally took it for granted that she will have every ability and no major health concerns.

Now I am trying to re-think the way I pray for Reese. I'm not asking for her to look a certain way or be exceptionally smart or athletic. I'm also not asking that she avoid major illnesses or physical afflictions. I'm just going to pray that whatever struggles and challenges come her way, God will give her grace, strength, and courage so she can rise to meet them rather than crumble under them. And if her biggest struggle in life is bad teeth, then praise God!