23. The Prayer of a Trusting Spirit
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But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
Psalm 31:14T
HEREis nothing quite so peaceful as a sleeping infant, hands un-
curled, the quiet sound of his deep and even breathing. I recall
so many afternoons standing beside the cribs of my babies and glo-
rying in the benign state of their comfort as they napped.
In those early months of their lives I took delight in the fact that
I was doing my job well. I was what I had always longed to be: a
good mother.
As my children grew, I had to do what every mother must: begin
to let them go. In elementary school we allowed them free rein in the
municipal park directly behind our house. But they were never to
venture out as far as the street that led to the lake.
During the middle school years their freedom grew by incre-
ments. Little by little their boundaries expanded and my nerves be-
came more rattled. I began to fear that they were slipping from my
grasp, so I tried to tighten it. When Spike was working out of town