As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
John 9:1-2

Dear Lord,

It’s easy to play the blame game. It’s easy to wonder if this is somehow my fault. If I had been more strict, or more lenient, or more loving, or more present, or more, or more, or more…

Lord, I know the answer to the question posed in John 9. I believe that even the bad things that happen can bring You glory. They can show Your goodness in the darkness. I pray that You would use this pain to display Your works.

Even when the doubt in my heart subsides, Lord, and I know that I am not to blame, my mind sometimes drifts to those outside the home. I worry about the judgement of others. I concern myself with what friends, family, and other people in the community might think instead of holding on tightly to You and Your knowledge of the situation.

Help me find support, Lord. Bring people around me and my family to build us up in this difficult time. People who will love instead of judge. People who will remind us of Your goodness and love, pointing us to You instead of to the world and our present struggle.

In Jesus name, Amen.