Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Lesson for the Week


Practice

This morning as I was driving my daughter to camp, she began to complain about her stomach hurting. Well, as most mothers will attest to, I immediately became nervous. The first question… “Do you need to throw up?” Answer: no. The second question… “Do you feel like you need to go poopy?” (She is only six. Poopy and pee pee are still a part of our everyday vocabulary.) Answer: no. Within a few minutes she was complaining about her head hurting… more worry. I kept thinking, “Oh God, please don’t let her get sick today.” Beyond the fact that I get nervous around sick people (yes… even my own child. Thus the reason God did not call me to work in the medical profession), I knew that she would not be able to finish dance camp or perform in the final show. She is also scheduled to go to her dad’s this weekend; and yes, I will admit with little remorse that I look forward to having that time to myself to unwind! One sickness can affect so many different things. So, as my mind was reeling about how to handle this, I realized one thing… I cannot control this situation. I must give it up to God. The first thing I told Zoe to do was pray. She did, and I agreed with her. I got her to camp, and stayed to watch her for about 15 minutes. At first she didn’t move a lot. She didn’t say a lot. She just stood around the other children with her arms across her stomach. Eventually she began to move and interact; and when I felt comfortable enough, I left to take a walk along the nearby Greenway Trail.

As I was walking, knowing in my head that God was in control, I still continued to feel nervous. I kept remembering these words that a very special lady sent to me when I asked for prayer. “It’s my pleasure to pray for you. My part is easy. God’s got the hard part. He does all the work.” That was awesome!! It should be a simple process just to let go and know that God is God; and that once you have left your requests with Him, things are under control. This morning, however, it was not so simple. It was hard. I continued to pray as I walked. I spoke healing on my daughter in the name of Jesus. I thanked God for His healing power. I asked God for His peace that passes all understanding. When I was almost back to my car, God reminded me of the healing of the centurion’s servant. ““But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go’, and he goes; and that one, ‘Come’, and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this’, and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.” (Luke 7:7-10, NIV) God is always with us. We know that (at least I hope we all do). But even if He isn’t right there next to my daughter, all He has to do is speak healing to her, and she is healed. By praying in Jesus name, we release His power, and all He has to do from there is speak. That’s it… pretty amazing, right? Ok, here’s where God brought it home for me. Before I got into my car to leave, I took one more look in the building where my daughter was. What was she doing? She was dancing with all the other children… practicing her part for the show tomorrow. I know my daughter well enough to know that if she truly was not feeling well, she wouldn’t be up and moving around. She would be sitting in a chair, waiting for mommy to come. I spoke with one of the ladies in charge and was told that she was doing well. She hadn’t had any problems and was continuing to move along with the other children. As I walked out, I continued to praise God. And as this day has progressed, and the seeds of doubt have hit my mind (how many times did I check my phone today for that dreaded message from her camp director?), I continue to praise God for His healing. It’s not easy to let go, especially when it’s your own child. And right now, I’m still going to call my mother to find out how she’s doing. It’s hard, but God knows that, and He understands. Just remember that having and using faith, just like anything that is worthwhile, takes practice. Some days may come easier than others, but believe me when I say; your efforts will be rewarded. God bless you all.

Luke 7:1-10

Matthew 9:18-30

Matthew 17:20-21

Romans 10:17

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