Sons and Daughters

I wrote this almost exactly two years ago and discovered it hiding in my Facebook notes.
I sobbed this prayer to God one evening:

Let me be a father
I long for sons and daughters
I long for the heartaches and the joys
The kind smiles and angry scowls
The fears and the comforts
The sleepless nights and peaceful dreams
The fascinated questions and the dismissive indifference
The wisdom and the foolishness
I long for the cuddles of little ones as they’re wrapped up in my arms
I long for the embraces of old ones as they leave my house
I long for the humility that begs my advice
I long for the arrogance that assumes my ignorance
I long for scraggly beards and knotted curls
I long for bumps, bruises, scratches, and snotty noses
I long for dirty diapers and sticky fingers
I long for stick figures and blotchy paintings
I long for squeaky singing and broken furniture
I long for wholehearted giggles and irrational crying
I long for piggy-back rides and training wheels
I long for sidewalk chalk and missing shoes
I long for cluttered floors and messy rooms
I long for sheer chaos and make believe
I long for birthday cakes and uneaten vegetables
I long for sons and daughters, my King
May it please You to grace me with them