Do your grandchildren love stories?  The last time I traveled to Virginia to visit my grandchildren, I was coaxed into reading one of the Bernstein Bear books – The Bernstein Bears Go to School – over and over again.  My oldest granddaughter, Katie, loves that book.  Katie recently started preschool and she can relate to Sister Bear’s fear of leaving her mother and going to school.  She also shares some of Sister Bear’s excitement about the new and fun experiences that school can bring.  But most of all, she loves the reassurance that everything is going to turn out just fine in Sister Bear’s school adventure.

Most of us love stories where life works out well, where circumstances aren’t so difficult, and the endings are happy.  But those stories are not usually stories of real life.  When I think of the stories that I love to read in God’s word, in the Bible, those stories are rarely ones of pleasure and ease.  I become impatient along with Abraham and Sarah as they wait for the promised son, I ache with Jacob when he hears the report that Joseph has been killed, I am upset that Joseph has been falsely accused, I weep with Hannah over her years of barrenness, and David’s moral failures leave me mystified.  God is the author of each of these life stories and they are not stories of ease.  He is also the author of each of our stories and they, most likely, are not stories of ease.  If they were, we would never understand our great need for a Savior and His amazing grace.

Katie’s life may be similar to Sister Bear’s at this time.  School is fun for her and life as a three year old has not been stressful.  But I know she will have struggles ahead.  She will need to decide how she is going to treat other people, how she will react to failure and discouragement, how she will use her gifts and resources, and most importantly, whether she will believe in the Lord and accept the gift of His Son, Jesus, for the forgiveness of her sins.  There will be moments in her life when she chooses to live her faith or forego her faith.  Those moments will define her character.

God has been working in my heart to show me that He is, indeed, the author – and the authority – in all of our lives.  As much as I would like to write Katie’s story and make it one of happiness and satisfaction, I am not the author.  However, the Author, God Himself, hears my prayers and has encouraged me to intentionally pray about her character and spiritual development.

In seeking to pray intentionally for Katie, and my other grandchildren, I searched God’s word for the character traits that He might want developed in their lives.  While searching through the Book of Proverbs, God revealed much of His heart to me.  He burdened me to be praying for integrity, teach ability, purity, faithfulness, righteousness, wisdom, and so much more.   I began praying through that book and asking God to make those traits apparent in their lives.  I realized that I do not necessarily know how to pray for the events in their lives, but I do know the kind of individuals God wants them to become.  As their grandmother, I am committed to praying faithfully that God will develop His character in their lives and that they will walk closely with Him.  And I can fully trust that His purpose will be accomplished in each of their lives.