Do you like to control all the components of your life?
If I’m being honest, of course I do. Most of us like to be in control. My daughter has been battling a heart problem since she was 5. We have had some really scary moments. In the past year, it has gotten increasingly worse. In the past few months we’ve been in and out of the hospital almost weekly.
I’ve had to wrestle with the concept of things being completely out of my control.
It’s a really scary place to be. I’m not going to lie, I’ve had moments where I’ve been paralyzed with fear watching my child in pain. Watching your child suffer is like having your own heart stretched out like silly putty, and getting a swift kick in the gut on repeat. It hurts in a way that’s different than other hurts.
Being anxious, stressed out, or fearful is a body’s normal response to trauma or stress.
It doesn’t make you less of a Christian. It’s the body’s way of responding to stress or trauma. Just because you feel those things, doesn’t mean you have to stay there. After you feel those things, you deal with your responses. You get yourself grounded again in Christ, and catch your breath. You overcome by quoting scripture, making bold declarations of your faith, and by filling your mind with His presence in place of the anxiety.
Here’s what I’ve learned in that scary place of not being able to control life for my children or me.
Some things are out of our control and in the hands of our creator. It is in those moments that we have to completely surrender our will to God. That’s the place where we can do nothing else, but trust God. One thing that has helped me is answering the question, “What if the worst thing happens?” If the worst thing happens then I’ll deal with it in that moment. Life has enough worry all on its own to worry about things down the road. God is in those moments already. I’ve stopped having anxiety when I answered that question.
Fear creates the what if moments of life that bring us anxiety.
As my daughters having heart episodes she sometimes says, “What if they restart my heart again?” I always say if it comes to that we’ll deal with it. We’ll handle it through the power of Jesus Christ. You can handle it, get through it, deal with it, and face it through the power of Jesus Christ. Your what if’s can be answered with, I’ll handle it, if it comes to that.
What do you do when God doesn’t answer your prayers the way you want?
There have been moments we’ve prayed and God allowed something to stop my daughter’s heart episode from going any further. However, guess what, there have been other moments. At times, we’ve prayed, and still had to have doctors restart her heart. I have watched my daughter’s heart stop beating and forced by doctors to beat again. I’ve watched her in pain, yet not able to help her. God was still good in the moments we had to take the hardest path. He was good in the moments where He intervened. His presence has been with us all the way. I’ve had to learn to trust God in the moments He took us down the hardest and most stressful path.
Why doesn’t God always answer our prayers?
One particular time my daughter said, “Why didn’t God answer our prayer.” I said, “He did answer it, He just didn’t give us the easy way out, instant relief, quick solution.” He allowed us to learn trust and build super hero faith. I’ve had to watch my child experience life’s painful moments so that her own faith could grow and develop. We have to let them experience pain in life to develop their own faith. It’s part of their journey.
God will never leave you nor forsake you.
He might not always give you the easy solution. You too will have some scary moments where all you can do is trust. It’s in those moments where we truly learn faith. People with super hero faith didn’t get there over night. Incredible faith filled men and women are built over a life time of difficult moments. So, tell your fear to stand down, so your faith can rise up. Take your prayers to another level of intercession. Remember fear is a liar. Never stop praying!!! There is power in prayer!!! Prayer is your direct link to all the resources of heaven. When you sing praises to Jesus heaven invades earth. Worship changes the atmosphere. When you pray you partner with the Holy Spirit.
