Last night as my seven year old daughter was laying beside me and close to falling asleep I asked her a question.
I asked, “What did you learn today?”
She answered quickly, “I learned not to lie! I also learned that God cares about everything about me, and that you can pray to Him about anything!”
“Yep,” I responded softly. “I learned that too.”
No matter how old you get, or how close you think you are to God, it seems like you never stop learning, you never stop growing, and if anything, I’m learning that’s good. That day my daughter had woken with a stuffy nose. After listening to her snuff and snort repeatedly while we labored through her first grade reader, I finally went to the medicine cabinet and gathered her a dose of something for her sinuses.
Later, when she said, “Mom, I just can’t breathe out of my nose,” I had gone for the Vicks Vapor Rub.
“This should take care of it, hon.” I encouraged her.
In the midst of her stuffy nose business I discovered my own dilemma. A costly repair we had made just recently reared its ugly head again. All I could think at its discovery was, not now! This is horrible timing! Christmas, two birthdays, and tight finances did not make me excited at the thought of repeated repair work, and I honestly just wanted to cry. My aunt was over and I immediately started to fuss about everything under the sun, and while a good vent is useful like a good cry, even I had to admit my bad attitude and anger were overboard. I guess I say it was overboard because deep down I always know God is in control of my life.
Regardless, I continued to fret, and naturally texted my husband the poor news. I would say a good hour went by with me fussing, fretting, and such. And it wasn’t until I stood in the kitchen with my sullen seven year old that my senses came to me. As I held my little girl’s head in my hands I looked her square in the eye and asked, “why in the world haven’t we prayed about this yet?!”
She smiled sheepishly and joined me in thoughtful prayer as we humbly and faithfully prayed healing of her blocked sinus passages.
“You know, God cares about it all,” I told her. “Nothing is too small or too big, and He controls every aspect of our life. As our Father, He wants to intercede on our behalf. It’s easy to forget that.”
The words I spoke to her pricked my own heart, especially in light of the fact that I had yet to pray about our repair problem. I had only thought logistics. I had considered financial aspects, what solutions we could take, and had certainly never even taken the time to ask for God’s counsel. I was far too busy worrying. It’s easy to take God’s goodness for granted and forget He is in control of all things. You forget He’s your provider, your comforter, and your healer. You forget He’s a good father who intercedes to help His children. You get too busy trying to figure out how you can fix it, and you forget that He is the grand designer, the master potter, and the restorer of all good things. You forget it’s as easy as taking a breath and saying help.
Help.
So I suppose you could say my daughter and I both were reminded of something we already knew, but then again that’s God. He not only knows all things, but is good enough to bring it back to His children’s minds when they need it most.
Lisa Pierce says
Great post Brie. We are all guilty at times even though we know He is in control of the least to the greatest problems. Thanks for the reminder. We all need that sometimes too!
I hope your little one is feeling better.
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you so much!
Dave says
My wife & I watched the movie, The Case for Christ, last night & oh did it bring back memories of my struggle with the God thing! I never got to the point of becoming a staunch atheist but just didn’t want anything to do with my Creator especially when my wife could take no more of our plunge into indulgence in more and more alcohol consumption especially since we had two little daughters to raise! My wife ended up going to a little church with my girls and gave her heart to the Lord! It made me even more angry at a God that was now dividing me and my family it seemed! But I wrote all that to say that my wife never gave up praying for me just as Lee Strobels wife didn’t in their life after she gave her heart to the Lord! Prayer is so powerful when we earnestly seek Him! I appreciate your examples of faith in God Brie! God bless you and your family! I know He has His hand on you for even greater things! Go for it!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you so much!! God is so good!!