Had I been Joseph’s mother
I’d have prayed
protection from his brothers:
“God keep him safe;
he is so young,
so different from
the others.”
Mercifully she never knew
there would be slavery
and prison, too.
Had I been Moses’ mother
I’d have wept
to keep my little son;
praying she might forget
the babe drawn from the water
of the Nile,
had I not kept
him for her
nursing him the while?
Was he not mine
and she
but Pharaoh’s daughter?…
Had I been Mary –
Oh, had I been she,
I would have cried
as never a mother cried,
“…Anything, O God,
anything…
but crucified!”
With such prayers
importunate
my finite wisdom
would assail
Infinite Wisdom;
God, how fortunate
Infinite Wisdom
should prevail!
This poem is from Ruth Bell Graham’s “Collected Poems.” It’s also available in This Christmas Night: Reflections from Our Hearts to Your Home.
thedailylily.com 
Thank you for sharing this poem and her insight and wisdom on prayer. For me it paints a clear picture on human want vs God’s greater ways and will.
I agree with Debi I felt as I read a ”sympathetic elicitation” for the feelings of a mother for her children. But God! His ways are not our ways….as far as the Heavens are above the earth”
I have learned a prayer from a message given by the Lord through a minister. We pray: ”I embrace with gratitude all you have allowed and did NOT allow in my life. I present my selfish ”self” at the foot of the cross of Christ Jesus and come out from under the curse of my own opinion so that Jesus may heal me. I exchange my ‘self’ for Jesus’ Self, Spirit, Soul and divinity, glory, wisdom and understanding, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Ephesians 4:17, 23
Romans 12:2
Colossians 2:4
I agree, Debi, and I think the poet said it very well, “my finite wisdom would assail
Infinite Wisdom;” I would start a war against God’s living Word. I think Ruth as a Mother might have thought the same.
MG’s prayer by another makes me think of this thought; Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word.
My husband, shared his thinking with me; “The things which we thought we knew are profound and mysterious. They call us to examine ourself to see if we really believe or if we are just parroting affirmations.”
Looks like a poem has once again brought me to an open window with fresh air, mountain views and lush valleys to scout out my inner most thoughts to be tested and tried to see what might be a lot less than gold.