--- title: Calling Down His Guidance and Protection description: Claire McGarry ponders a different way of blessing her children, putting her faith and emphasis on God. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/calling-down-f.jpg --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2020/03/04/calling-down-his-guidance-and-protection/#) # Calling Down His Guidance and Protection Mar 4, 2020 7:30:31 PM  |  by [Claire McGarry](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/claire-mcgarry) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/calling-down-f.jpg) !["Calling Down His Guidance and Protection" by Claire McGarry (CatholicMom.com)](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/calling-down.jpg) Image credit: [Pixabay.com](https://pixabay.com/images/id-2933293/) (2016), CC0/PD[/caption] My kids' buses leave pretty early for school. After I get ready in the morning, we're really only crossing paths for five or ten minutes before they're heading out the door. The short crossover further emphasizes the fact that they're now out of my sight more than they're in it. Knowing that how they spend their time will have a big impact on who they become, I worry about all they're exposed to that I can't control. That's a tough thing to come to terms with as an extreme Type A Control Freak. I had to come up with a plan to ease my concerns. Years ago, I placed a holy water font by the basement door. My plan was to bless my kids before they left the safety of our home each day. Sure, I did it for a while. But when I ran out of holy water, and it took me a few weeks to remember to get more at church, it fell off my radar, and out of my routine completely. !["Calling Down His Guidance and Protection" by Claire McGarry (CatholicMom.com)](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/holy-water.jpg) Image credit: [Pixabay.com](”https://pixabay.com/images/id-1309062/”) (2014), CC0/PD[/caption] My sense of concern has me revisiting the idea. In doing so, I realized the holy water is great, but it's the act of calling God down upon my children, and asking for His guidance and protection over them, that's the more important part of the ritual. That can be done, holy water or not. So I began a new routine of blessing my kids with the sign of the cross on their foreheads and telling them to make good choices. In my opinion, that covered it all: Make good choices in whom you hang out with; Make good choices in what you expose your heart and mind to; Make good choices on tests and behavior at school, and so on. I still firmly believe all of that is important. But, I've come to realize I was turning the blessing into a command to them, not a petition to God. My kids are 15, 13, and 9. Their ability to discern what a good choice is isn't fully developed yet. How frightening that I was putting my faith and emphasis on that! > I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring, my blessing upon your descendants. (Isaiah 44:3) What I really need to be doing is putting my faith and emphasis on God. He's the One who will lead them to good choices if they just open themselves up to His guidance and grace. That's what my new blessing needs to be instead: *Dear God, Please bless _________. Open him/her up to Your grace that will lead him/her to good choices. Amen.* Short and sweet, yet powerful and profound. --- *Copyright 2020 Claire McGarry* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F03%2F04%2Fcalling-down-his-guidance-and-protection%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F03%2F04%2Fcalling-down-his-guidance-and-protection%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F03%2F04%2Fcalling-down-his-guidance-and-protection%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Calling%20Down%20His%20Guidance%20and%20Protection) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F03%2F04%2Fcalling-down-his-guidance-and-protection%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2020%2F03%2F04%2Fcalling-down-his-guidance-and-protection%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Claire McGarry](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Claire%20McGarry.jpg) ### [Claire McGarry](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/claire-mcgarry) Claire McGarry is the author of [Grace in Tension: Discover Peace with Martha and Mary](https://amzn.to/3w2ZEgR), and the Lenten family devotionals [With Our Savior](https://www.creativecommunications.com/Products/FM3TV/with-our-savior-family-devotions-for-lent.aspx) and [Abundant Mercy](https://catholic.creativecommunications.com/Products/AM5TV/abundant-mercy-family-devotions-for-lent.aspx). Claire is a regular contributor to *Living Faith*, and her freelance work has appeared in several books, magazines, and devotionals. She blogs weekly at [Shifting My Perspective](https://shiftingmyperspective.com/), and lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Follow her on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMcGarryAuthor), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/clairemcgarrywrites/), and [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Claire-McGarry/e/B07NCB7ZKL). [**](https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMcGarryAuthor) [**](https://twitter.com/clairemcgarry2) ## Related Blog Articles [ First-Hand Faith Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2020/02/05/first-hand-faith/) [ A Mother's Greatest Prayer Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/05/02/a-mothers-greatest-prayer/) [ A Three Minute Sabbath Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2019/01/02/a-three-minute-sabbath/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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