Every morning I begin my day with prayer for my family and friends. Today it seems as if young people, including my grandchildren, need special prayers. Life lacks security. Temptation comes clothed in respectability. There are so many choices. Around it all, there is the internet, social media, the web. Sometimes I think calling it a net is so apt. It can feel like a spider’s web, with we humans fulfilling the role of the fly. I would like God to remove all the temptations, all the struggles for each of my precious teenage grandchildren. Smooth the road, please God, is my plea.

Breakfast over, I often need to drive somewhere. I maneuver around the potholes. My car bounces over the rough spots. I’m aware that regardless the amount of money, machinery, time or work hours spent on our road network, our marvelous smooth roads eventually develop potholes. Heavy traffic in our rugged Canadian winters means that our roads require constant fixing. The best we can do to ensure a safe journey is to keep our own cars in good repair. Be careful, confident, knowledgeable drivers, and use wisdom when choosing our route and speed. In the end, we must trust in God to enable us to deal with whatever happens.

I’m thinking we need to follow the same rules in living our lives, whether we’re teens, seniors or in-between. We can keep our bodies in good repair by eating healthy, exercising, and resting. We can live with care and confidence, using the knowledge we gain as we mature to give us wisdom in making our life choices. And we can teach trust in our loving God. God has promised the Holy Spirit to guide, comfort and strengthen us. God’s Spirit dwells within us to enable us to deal with the life events we encounter. We can focus on preparing ourselves and our young people for the potholes in the roads of life.