My son’s finger was bleeding badly.
Heart pounding, my mind turned to the worst-case scenario. Oh great. He’ll need stitches now. How am I going to get my stuff to leave this camping trip (with all the kids I’m supposed to be chaperoning) and take him to the hospital?
My mind lived miles away from where I was currently sitting. This is what worry does to a mind.
All my inner feelings demanded that I rush to my son, wrap my hands tightly around his finger and squeeze him, maybe panicking a little inside… Instead, I sat on that dirty wooden plank of the picnic table, my lips sealed. I knew it was best not to rush. Shut up, Kelly.
The leader, the trained travel teacher, addressed my son: “Michael, everything will be fine. Put pressure on it and come back in 20 minutes if it’s not better.”
I pleaded with my heart to be silent. My 13 year old son ran into the woods or wherever 13 year olds go in nature.
The teacher then asked me, “Kelly, was that hard for you as a mom? He’ll be fine.”
Um… YES!!! I wanted to scream. It was brutal.
“I worked to believe in the best, instead of immediately expecting the worst,” I told the man. “With my son, I could see myself rushing to the hospital before the worst even happened. But I’m now challenging myself to believe that he will be okay, instead of expecting everything to turn out horribly.”
It’s easy for me to think things will go wrong, to hide and prepare for the worst, but God challenges me, because loving others is actually believing for their best.
“If I love people, I will always accept their problems. I will always believe them. I will always hope for the best. I will always be patient in trouble.” (1 Cor. 13:7 Easy)
love endures everything [regardless of what comes]believes everything [looking for the best in each one]I hope everything [remaining steadfast during difficult times]supports everything [without weakening]. (1 Cor. 13:7 AMPC)
I love my son hoping for the best for my son. I am harming my son by worrying, planning for disasters, and quickly intervening.
I wonder, are any of you like me? Do you ever intervene early? Building plots in your mind before they even happen? How could you love people more if you trust God in these gaps? What would it look like to do this?
Twenty minutes have passed. Thirty minutes. Without seeing my son. The professor was right; his finger would be fine.
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a determined faith
Kelly, a fun, active, and spunky mom to two rambunctious toddlers, spends her days pushing swings, changing diapers, and pursuing the Lord with all her heart. Called the “Cheerleader of Faith,” Kelly’s greatest desire is to help women live passionately, purposefully, and unhindered for the Lord.
