Praying for Grass Stains

At a recent Dads-Who-Dare prayer meeting early one Thursday morning, a father asked for prayer for his elementary-aged daughter.

"She's like me," he said, "in that she's shy and quiet and can sometimes be anxious about making friends."

He went on to share some good news, though: "Yesterday, she came home with some grass stains on her pants, so I'm taking that to be a good sign. Pray for more grass stains."

The story stuck with me as the group prayed. While I've seen a few kids content to roll down our playground berm on their own, it's rare; more often than not, where there's one, there's usually at least one or more friends doing it with them, together.

What a beautiful picture of a father's love for his daughter, I thought. Recognizing his similar struggles, this dad has experienced the anxiety that kids (and adults) often feel in making and being friends. But, rather than look for someone or something to blame for his daughter's challenge, he asked other fathers to join him in prayer for a resolution that, if provided, might actually mean more work and/or cost for him and his wife (last I checked, grass stains are still a pain to get out of clothes).

May God grant us such insight into our children and their needs. And, may God give us courage to pray for our kids and their struggles, even if doing so might cost us something in the answering.