Last year, my thoughtful mother-in-law sent us this copy of church bulletin through the mail. On the back, there's the famous prayer of Douglas MacArthur for his son. Her mail warmed my heart. Her understanding was beyond words. From our time together last summer, she must have observed our stress and our needs for wisdom as we now parent two teens. H and I wondered what the prayer is like in its original language. H googled the prayer and read it to me.
General MacArthur's Prayer for His Son
- Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak; and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat and humble and gentle in victory.Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee -- and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain!" --Douglas MacArthur
As soon as H read the first few words "build me a son, O Lord", he got so choked up that he was unable to continue reading. Sharing his sentiment, I was already in tears.
"Build me a son, O Lord." Without the power and intervention of our God, our son would never be whom we desire for him to be.
"Build me a son, O Lord," for our son was not born without sin. It takes time and trials to chisel him, to rid himself the self-centered ways and self righteousness, and, finally, come to his senses that he needs a Savior.
"Build me a son, O Lord." It is our cry to God to shape our son into a man, and into His likeness.
And as parents, our verse to live by is this:
And as parents, our verse to live by is this:
" I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
--3 John 1:4
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