A Psalm of Promises, Surrender, and the Goodness of God
This psalm is not Scripture, but a heartfelt reflection written in the style of the psalms—honest, prayerful, and directed to the Lord. Like David, we come with real emotions, real struggles, and real hope in God’s faithfulness.
A back-and-forth psalm between a daughter and her mother
by Kate & Andi Dodd
ANDI:
This is our Psalm—
a mother and a daughter.
Lord, You know the halls I’ve walked—
crowded, loud, and full of faces that didn’t really see me.
I tried to fit in,
tried to be enough,
tried to find friends who cared beyond the surface—
but loneliness followed me like a shadow.
KATE:
And I watched, God—
watched her carry weights too heavy for a young heart.
My hands wanted to fix it,
my voice wanted to shield her,
but all I could do was sit beside her tears
and whisper Your promises louder than my fear.
ANDI:
You say You’re close to the brokenhearted,
but some days I couldn’t feel anything but the breaking.
I wondered if You saw me—
KATE:
And yet, Father, I clung to Your Word:
“The Lord bless you and keep you.”
You see her.
You protect her.
Your face shines on my girl—
even when mine is clouded with worry
and I ache because I cannot take away her pain.
ANDI:
So here I am, God—
still learning to trust
that Your plans for me are better than the ones I keep trying to write.
Teach me to surrender the parts of me that feel unfinished—
my longings,
my friendships,
my future,
and the pieces of my heart that still hurt.
Show me that letting go isn’t losing—
it’s placing everything in hands that won’t fail me.
KATE:
And here I am, too—
a mother opening my hands
and laying her—my daughter—before You again.
I surrender the dreams I have for her,
the fears I carry for her,
the moments I wish I could shield her from.
She is Yours, Lord.
She has always been Yours.
Help me trust that Your love for her
is deeper, stronger, and more faithful than mine could ever be.
ANDI:
You didn’t leave me searching forever—
You led me to real friends,
real people,
real belonging.
You found me when I felt far away
and You chased my heart with Your goodness
until I knew I was safe.
And when I stepped into the water at my baptism—
I felt it.
Your faithfulness.
Your nearness.
Your promise that I am Yours.
KATE:
And I saw it—
the goodness of God wrapped around her
like a story only You could write.
Her baptism wasn’t the end,
but the beginning of a lifelong walk
for both of us—
a walk of learning, trusting, returning,
and being held by grace again and again.
ANDI:
We have a long way to go,
but Your goodness goes before us.
We will stumble,
we will learn,
we will surrender again—
but You will remain faithful.
KATE:
This is our Psalm—
a mother and a daughter
resting in the Promises of God,
learning the beauty of Surrender,
and remembering the unshakable
Goodness of the Lord.
How can you live out your everyday faith in the middle of what you’re facing today?
For prayer or encouragement, connect with Kate Dodd, Director of Care, at Kate@centerchurch.live.
