(My sweet baby girl, at the park…)
I’m a worrier. There I said it.
And I’m not a worrier about big important things. My heart strives over little stuff around the house, with my kids, about my husband. Trivial, that’s how I roll. But, I also worry about wild crazy things – that will never, ever happen, most likely. Outlandish nightmares sometimes creep in, as though they’ll be my reality. It is nuts.
Now before you come to believe I’m an absolute loon, I can tell you that the Holy Spirit has been my victory in this way. I can tell you that at this time in my life, He overcomes my strange and obnoxious worries with a whisper and I don’t live a life of fear at all. Scripture memory is a big part of that victory, of course – and I know where my heart rests.
Over time I’ve learned to set aside the worries, along with my lack of control and simply abide in the hope I have in Christ. What this means for a worrier like me is I don’t pray like I used to. My prayers used to be exhausting: “Please don’t let this happen, and please keep this at bay, and please make this stop before such and such happens…”
Every human knows, there’s no praying for all the “what-ifs”. right?
I cannot pray away enough “maybes” for my loved ones. It just isn’t possible. And so I have to rely on a simple prayer of protection on them all and believe that my Heavenly Father is in control and knows all possible outcomes.
With all of this in mind, I want to tell you about a miracle that happened just last night here at our house.
I was at the bottom of the stairs, when I heard loud thumping – as I looked to my left, I saw my sweet baby girl falling helplessly head first down the stairs, with great force and inertia, her chin coming to a rest at the landing. Very loud wailing ensued. I rushed to her, and picked her up to hold and comfort her.
As I looked her over, I could hardly believe my eyes. Though her face had basically taken the brunt of her fall there was no blood, no cuts. All teeth were still firmly rooted. No stitches needed. A small bruise on her chin received an ice pack treatment.
I’m about to say something weird.
I can’t tell you how thrilled I was this happened. You see the truth is, I’ve never prayed – “Please keep Mackenzie from falling head-first down the stairs. And if she does, please keep her from being hurt.” Nope. I’ve never prayed anything of the sort. And yet, it is an answer to the prayer I didn’t pray. I believe He allowed it to happen, but also protected her from being hurt… confirming His truth. There is no need to worry.
(Of course, I also believe that, if she was hurt, there would be something good to come from that too, ordained as a part of His will… If I were posting photos of Mackenzie with stitches across her chin, that would not upset my belief that He is good.)
In the moments following her fall, I was so relieved to find that all of the Scripture I’ve been relying on about not worrying is true. His loving care and provision is full and complete.
from Matthew 6:
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
daily portion 