Prayer for dads

Lord Jesus, You told the men who came to arrest You to let Your friends go. You stepped in front of danger so the people You loved could walk away. That kind of love stops me in my tracks. You put Yourself between harm and the people You cared about. I want to learn that posture. Today, show me where I can take the hit so somebody else does not have to. The blame at work I could absorb without much cost. The honest answer that protects my kid from a longer fight. The criticism of a friend I can deflect by changing the subject. None of these are heroic. They are just shaped like You. Shape me a little more like You in the small protections I can offer today. Amen.