PUNY KIDDOS

I hate it when my kids are puny.  I hate it when they don’t feel good and they are so overwhelmed they cry.  That’s what’s been happening in our house.  It started yesterday with Ethan.  All of a sudden he broke down sobbing.  His chest hurt, he couldn’t read three hard words in his school work, and worst of all his head hurt and he was tired. 

Next one to go down was Jacob.  He fell asleep playing on the floor.  He NEVER lies down on the floor let alone lies still long enough to fall asleep, NEVER!  After sleeping for about three hours, he woke up with a mild fever.  Needless to say he spent the night in Mama and Daddy’s bed, much to Daddy’s discomfort, and woke up just to sit and cry.  He cried in his bath, he cried while laying back down in mama’s bed, he cried until we found Sheriff Callie on demand.  So far it’s been a day and night of kiddos not feeling good.

I HATE it when my kids don’t feel good.  To me it’s the worst thing a parent can go through.  I can’t take away the children’s pain.  I can’t take away their suffering.  I can only hug them, bleach bathrooms, and make virus killing soup (per Ethan and Daddy’s request), and as a mom it doesn’t feel like I’m doing enough. 

As a mom, I want to shelter my kiddos from everything.  I want to protect them from the evil and the sin in the world.  I want to ensure that they are protected from anything that can hurt them.  I know that this is unrealistic, our world is a screwed up, crazy, and dangerous place.  In spite of knowing this, my heart doesn’t change, and I want the best for my children.   I want to make sure that my children are always smiling.  I want to make sure that they are happy, running around enjoying their life.  I want them to be healthy.  Sadly, I can’t make these things happen every day.  I can’t protect them from everything.  There are times that I have to sit back and watch them fall, watch them cry, and watch them hurt.  In those moments my heart breaks and I stand on my knees crying out to God asking Him to heal and comfort them.  And I’m reminded of what Christ did for me, of His love for me and how he has the Holy Spirit cry out for me when I weep, hurt, and can’t take another breath on my own.

I hate it when my kiddos are puny.  But I take these days as a reminder of how precious our lives together really are.  I honestly can’t imagine my life without any of my children, and yet I know the time is coming when I have to return them to the Author of our lives who loves them more than I can imagine.  So I will snuggle them when they are sick.  I will play with them when they are healthy.  I will teach them as best as I can.  Most of all, I will purpose to show them the love of their Heavenly Father, and prayerfully direct them to Him. 

Yep, I hate puny kiddos, but I love how God uses sickness to remind us of what is important in life.  Even if the illness is just the 24 hour stomach bug kind.