The Child Advocate's Prayer

I am a child advocate. The work I do is difficult and stressful.

Lord, give me the strength and tenacity to do it.

When I lay awake at night concerned about a child, hear my prayer and grant me peace and rest.

When I'm driving down a dirt road lost and looking for a grandma's house, guide me.

When I'm nervous because I have to testify in court, give me courage.

When my court report is a tangle of incomplete thoughts, help me make sense of my words.

When I'm under attack, grant me the grace to withstand the onslaught and the courage to tell the truth.

When I see a child in pain, allow me to minister to him.

When I receive a child's hug, fill my heart with joy. Remind me of that hug when I am frustrated and want to quit.

When there are no good answers and all seems lost with my case, refresh me with another solution I hadn't thought of before.

When I don't know where to go or what to do, grant me wisdom.

When I am tempted to be proud of the good work I am doing, remind me that these children are precious jewels dropped unsustained from heaven by you, dear Lord, and that it is every adult's responsibility to protect them.

When I am weary of seeing the scars of abuse and neglect, allow me to hold my own children and grandchildren close so that I will never forget to love my own.

And when I am beaten down and ready to quit, remind me, Lord, that there are not nearly enough people like me and help me remember that I matter. I am the voice of a child. I am a child advocate.

- by Angela Henderson