Brave...

We have lots of prayers for our children. 

To love and know Jesus.

To be kind to others.

To always support their siblings.

To give generously.

To love freely.

To accept others. 

To learn.

To be brave. 

All of equal importance, all for different reasons, all things that I pray for regularly. 

But being brave has been on my heart so much recently, especially for my girls. I don't know why, but I do know that for them to be courageous and strong is important to me. I want them to know that they can do anything. I want them to be confident in their hopes and dreams. I want them to conquer their fears and come out stronger on the other side. 

And even in their tiny tot years, I have seen glimpses of that this summer. I have seen them grow braver and stronger and more confident. In their words, in their actions, in small and big ways. Whether it's just putting their face in the water, petting a new dog, swimming to Mom and Dad, sleeping through a storm... these are their fears at this moment in their lives. 

And those fears will disappear to make room for new and different fears. But being brave will let them overcome and conquer those fears. Being brave, living with confidence, having the support of their siblings will let them come out stronger on the other side. 

And when that happens, when they are brave... something even more amazing happens... they light up with pride and accomplishment and my heart soars right along with theirs. 

So I will keep praying for them to be brave and I will keep praising the moments when they are!