"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1
Day 10: Fear of Accidents
Is it me, or do moms have a weird knack for pointing out every possible scenario of every possible thing around you that could possibly harm you in any possible way?
My mom is so good at that. And the amazing part is that her reasons are always very well-thought out and sometimes logical too...or almost always.
At an outdoor restaurant, she might say, "Don't sit over there next to that plant or it might drop leaves onto your plate without you knowing it and you might accidently eat one and they might be poisonous and you might die from that poison and wouldn't that be awful?"
Wow, mom. Thanks for thinking of that!
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| On August 2013 when I was pregnant with Nathaniel |
I find myself doing the same thing with my kids too. Why is that? Sometimes it's funny and sometimes it's just plain exhausting. All kidding aside, though, what mother isn't a worrier on some level, right?
From the minute I was pregnant with my first, I worried for his safety, and after adding two more kids to the mix, my worry hasn't stopped. In fact, it seems to have tripled in strength.
Again, part of worrying is just my job as a mother. I want to protect them and keep them safe. I have two questions that I ask my big kids often (especially my 3 year old, Abby): "Is that a safe choice?" and "Is that a smart choice?"
But sometimes my worry crosses over the line where the worry begins to rob me of my joy with my family because I'm too busy worrying about their safety. One of my biggest fears is that they will have an accident. Not just a car accident (although I do worry about them riding in the car with me, with my husband, and especially other people--even my own parents), but any accident. I live in great fear of it.
Mainly, I worry about them severely hurting themselves or dying from an accidental death that could have been prevented. I worry about them having an accident at the park--falling off of a tall play structure or falling off of a hanging bar and landing on their heads. I worry about them running into the street or getting hit in a parking lot. I worry about them drowning in the bathtub or at the pool or at the lake or in our very own back yard. I worry about my little one choking on a lego piece or touching something electrical. I worry about fires and tornadoes and the list could go on and on.
Sometimes I get sick to my stomach when I think about something happening to them that is my fault, and I will blame myself for the rest of my life. It's just too much to think about.
Here's the truth: There are so many different things that could happen to my children on any given day. I know that my mind swims with many, but I'm sure there are many more that I don't even want to think about. Nor should I.
I can't take on all these fears and allow them to rob me of my joy. I can't prevent every accident and I can't be there to stop everything from happening to my kids--as much as I'd like to.
I need to give these fears to God immediately.
The bible says in Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."
Are you ready to cast your burden of fear on the Lord? Are you ready to let go of this worry over your kids? I am!
PRAY WITH ME:
Lord, I give my fear of accidents to you. Father, I ask that you protect my children and keep them safe. I cast my fears and worries about their safety on you, Lord. Help me to enjoy being with my kids and take away my constant worry over something happening to them. I pray that You will surround them with Your mighty wings of protection. You are our refuge and our strength. You are there when we need You. I know that you love my children even more than I do. I trust them in Your loving care. Father, shine Your light into my fear of accidents and allow me to walk forward full of faith that You are Our Protector. Fill me with confidence and joy as I give my kids' safety to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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