March 12 - Lord, I pray for my child to feel loved and accepted.  Penetrate his/her heart with Your love right now and help him/her to fully understand how far-reaching and complete it is.  (Power of a Praying Parent daily)

"It reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley.  The blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power."  The words of this familiar hymn offer comfort and assurance to compliment today's reading!  Regardless of how far geographically or spiritually our children go, God's love and the miraculous power of the blood are both far-reaching. 

The struggle if you will, comes when we as parents have to release or "cut off" our child(ren) for their own good.  We think that if exercise "tough love" that our child(ren) will think that we don't love them or they'll feel rejected.  But if we keep loving them when he/she clearly is operating outside the will of God, we not only enable them, but we also enable them to fully experience God!  I thought about "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.  If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."  Matthew 7:6 (NIV)  Although we're not to judge, we must use judgment when continually giving that which is holy to someone that may "trample" it under their feet.  To make it plain, we can't keep giving them money, buying gifts, getting them out of jail, covering up bad behavior, making excuses poor choices, if he/she continues to trample it under their feet!  The best thing, as gut-wrenching as it may be, would be to step back and let God be God!

Father, I know that Your love is far-reaching and everlasting.  I know that You are all seeing and all knowing.  I know that You are Sovereign and can do whatever You want to do...nevertheless; it doesn't make "tough love" any easier for me as a human!  I pray that through it all, You keep my son/daughter...let him/her not succumb during the process.  For me, help me to hold out until Your work is done.  In Jesus name, Amen!