好久好久沒有看到這篇文章了。
記得年輕的時候看這篇文章時，心裡直想：
喔，不。請主千萬別來塑造我的孩子，我超怕祢那個「災難就是賜福」的道理，我只願我的孩子平安、健康、幸福、順遂就好了。
隨著孩子漸漸地長大，我理解到終有一天她們須離開父母的羽翼，自行去面對自己的人生。
我日日祈禱她們有智慧、夠勇敢，夠堅強，夠勤奮，以面對未來人生路上的挑戰並戰勝它們。
今天在回應一位格友的文章時，忽然又想起麥克阿瑟先生的為子祈禱文，是啊，字字句句都是身為父母者心裡最深切的盼望。真的好感動。
與您分享 ^^~~~
以下全文引用自：人間福報
編按：《為子祈禱文》是前美國五星上將道格拉斯．麥克阿瑟，於第二次世界大戰的太平洋戰爭之初（1937年）所做，通過宗教信仰表達一位 父親對兒子的殷切期許。本文內容同時也出現在麥帥對他曾任職校長的美國西點軍校學生演講詞中，顯示一個年輕人應該具足的智慧、勇敢、堅持、謙遜、乃至幽默 等，不僅是他對兒子的期許，也是他對軍校全體學生的訓勉。
主啊！求你塑造我的兒子，
Build me a son, O Lord,
使他夠堅強到能認識自己的軟弱；
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
夠勇敢到能面對懼怕；
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
在誠實的失敗中，毫不氣餒；
one who will be proud and unbending in honest de-feat,
在勝利中，仍保持謙遜溫和。
and humble and gentle in victory.
懇求塑造我的兒子，
Build me a son
不至空有幻想而缺乏行動；
whose wishes will not take the place of deeds;
引導他認識你，同時又知道，
a son who will know Thee…… and that
認識自己乃是真知識的基石。
to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge
我祈禱，
Lead him, I pray,
願你引導他不求安逸、舒適，
not in the path of ease and comfort,
相反的，經過壓力、艱難和挑戰，
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and chal-lenge.
學習在風暴中挺身站立，
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
學會憐恤那些在重壓之下失敗的人。
here let him learn compassion for those that fail.
求你塑造我的兒子，
Build me a son
心地清潔，
whose heart will be clear,
目標遠大；
whose goal will be high,
使他在指揮別人之前，
a son who will master himself
先懂得駕馭自己；
before he seeks to master other men;
永不忘記過去的教訓，
one who will reach into the future,
又能伸展入未來的理想。
yet never forget the past.
當他擁有以上的一切，
And after all these things are his,
我還要禱求，賜他足夠的幽默感，
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
使他能認真嚴肅，
so that he may always be serious,
卻不致過分苛求自己。
yet never take himself too seriously.
懇求賜他謙卑，
Give him humility,
使他永遠記牢，
so that he may always remember
真偉大中的平凡，
the simplicity of true greatness,
真智慧中的開明，
the open mind of true wisdom
真勇力中的溫柔。
and the meekness of true strength.
如此，作為父親的我，
Then, I, his father will dare to
才敢低聲說：「我沒有虛度此生。」
whisper, "I have not lived in vain.'"
Build me a son, O Lord,
使他夠堅強到能認識自己的軟弱；
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
夠勇敢到能面對懼怕；
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
在誠實的失敗中，毫不氣餒；
one who will be proud and unbending in honest de-feat,
在勝利中，仍保持謙遜溫和。
and humble and gentle in victory.
懇求塑造我的兒子，
Build me a son
不至空有幻想而缺乏行動；
whose wishes will not take the place of deeds;
引導他認識你，同時又知道，
a son who will know Thee…… and that
認識自己乃是真知識的基石。
to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge
我祈禱，
Lead him, I pray,
願你引導他不求安逸、舒適，
not in the path of ease and comfort,
相反的，經過壓力、艱難和挑戰，
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and chal-lenge.
學習在風暴中挺身站立，
Here, let him learn to stand up in the storm;
學會憐恤那些在重壓之下失敗的人。
here let him learn compassion for those that fail.
求你塑造我的兒子，
Build me a son
心地清潔，
whose heart will be clear,
目標遠大；
whose goal will be high,
使他在指揮別人之前，
a son who will master himself
先懂得駕馭自己；
before he seeks to master other men;
永不忘記過去的教訓，
one who will reach into the future,
又能伸展入未來的理想。
yet never forget the past.
當他擁有以上的一切，
And after all these things are his,
我還要禱求，賜他足夠的幽默感，
add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
使他能認真嚴肅，
so that he may always be serious,
卻不致過分苛求自己。
yet never take himself too seriously.
懇求賜他謙卑，
Give him humility,
使他永遠記牢，
so that he may always remember
真偉大中的平凡，
the simplicity of true greatness,
真智慧中的開明，
the open mind of true wisdom
真勇力中的溫柔。
and the meekness of true strength.
如此，作為父親的我，
Then, I, his father will dare to
才敢低聲說：「我沒有虛度此生。」
whisper, "I have not lived in vain.'"
