Family picture taken 1 week after diagnoses

Family picture taken 1 week after diagnoses

Sunday, March 1, 2015

"Be anxious for nothing, but... let your requests be made known to God."

   The topic of "fear" has come up a lot recently; in conversations, in my favorite daily devotion writers, as my kids contemplate which Disneyland rides they like, with old and young.  It's something we all deal with at varying degrees.
    My son, the worrier, will tell me about an ache or pain and ask, "is there such a thing as side cancer? Because my side really hurts." Or foot cancer, or tooth cancer... I'm seeing a trend as to where his mind is spent. Fretting over things he has no control over.  
    I hate that this is such a reality for him. My diagnoses and losing our TJ, has made this very real for him. It seems there is constantly a new person added to our prayer list because of the "C word". I hate this, and I'm grateful for this. Not for the fear but the opportunity it brings to learn, lean, teach, and model.  It gives me the chance to point him back to Christ when fears arise. It also reminds me that how I deal with my fear points him. Where am I pointing? 
   Greg Laurie talked about how we have normal and conditioned reflexes to fear and worry in his daily devotion this week. A conditioned reflex is something you learn or teach yourself to do through repetition until it comes naturally. When fears arise, does it produce worry or send me to the feet of Jesus in prayer? I loved the thought of making this a conditioned reflex in my life. That my natural reaction to fear becomes prayer. I long for my kids to learn this practice at a young age. It reminds of the song, "what a friend we have in Jesus". "...oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer." 
     I can carry the burden of my fear, or I can take it to God and experience the peace that He holds me even when my fears become a reality. I want to choose that! Every time. 
    I've been given a stark reminder that we have no idea how much time we have on earth. With that in mind, may it change my walk, and the way I love my Lord, my husband, and love my children. My time with them is short. Maybe shorter than I had planned. Maybe not, but thank you, God, for the reminder. 
    

2 comments:

  1. Love this and that hymn is one of my favorites! Praying for all of you! I love hearing your heart as you write - you are so gifted my dear friend! Thank you for the much needed reminder! I love you!

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  2. It is incredible that when we believe He is our healer and everything we need, that he does heal us of every disease - disease of hate, impatience, sorrow and anger. That He doesn't see disease as a disease of the body, but the heart. Kerri, you have such a beautiful heart. Thank you for sharing it with us. It reminds me to trust Him more, because there will be times of difficulty, but if I trust Him He will give me His strength rather than my own. You are using your life to reach others and I can't think of a more beautiful story than that. Love to you and your family ~Simone Lemkuil

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