Our Father, forgive us these messes—
dirty dishes piled in and around the sink,
dried Cheerios stuck to the floor,
old milk in a puddle, beginning to stink,
the cracker crumbs, spaghetti sauce, and more
scattered and splattered across tables and chairs.
O Lord, if you were to head upstairs,
beware the Lego landmines on the carpet,
pardon our unmade beds, piles of unwashed clothes,
the things under the bed that only you know
from whence and whither they came. And give us
this day our daily bread, and lead us
not into despair. For your Son’s sake,
who welcomed children & the messes they make.
