We've all been there. A traumatizing moment. Maybe it's caused by fear. Maybe it's caused by someone else hurting you. Maybe it's just an embarrassing moment that you think you'll never survive. There is really nothing anyone else can do to help. Family and friends can put their arms around you and tell you everything will be ok but it's just words. At best, someone can come along beside you and share a similar experience. This may help. However, usually at the time, you can't believe anyone has experienced what you've been through.
What do you do, as a parent, when your son or daughter has one of these moments? If they skin a knee you can kiss it and put a band-aid on it. What do you do when you can't see the boo-boo but you can only see the hurt?
You do what you can. You put your arms around them. You love them. You share similar experiences. However, you've been there. This does not make the hurt go away. So what else can you do? Pray? Does that work?
A couple of weeks ago my 10 year-old son had his first baseball game. He played tee-ball when he was five but baseball had not made the rotation again until now. With four kids all under 10 years of age, you're forced into not playing the "life revolves around your kids' activities" game if you want to keep your sanity (this is another future blog topic in itself). He was excited and nervous. Excited because he loves sports and challenges. Nervous because he'd never played real baseball in a real game.
While playing right field, the traumatizing event occurred. I'm not going to share the particulars with the world but it's enough to know that it wasn't a missed fly ball or an errant throw. He ran off the field and we really only had the option of leaving. There was nothing I could do and nothing I could say. I knew as a grown-up that it was not the end of the world. However, I was also ten once, so I know that it doesn't matter what you'll know someday as a grown-up when your ten right now.
The rest of the story I'll let you read directly from my son. He has his own private blog where he likes to post and journal his life. I won't link you there but I do want to share what he learned.
"Last night I had my first baseball game. It was great, I mean, we were winning 3 to 2, until one moment in the outfield, I got a little sick lets say. I ran to my Dad and told him what happened. We ended up leaving the game early, and we lost. When I got home, I felt really disappointed to not finish my very first game. This is the cool part-When my Mom got home, she told me to pray about it. I went and prayed for at least 15-20 minutes, and next thing I know I feel like nothing happen! I thought I'd just share that with you. It's so awesome to know God's real. Now I can be sure God listens to prayer!"
I hope the lesson our Father taught him that night never leaves him. When mom and dad can't kiss it and make it better, our Father can.
Psalms 147:3 (ESV) 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
What do you do, as a parent, when your son or daughter has one of these moments? If they skin a knee you can kiss it and put a band-aid on it. What do you do when you can't see the boo-boo but you can only see the hurt?
You do what you can. You put your arms around them. You love them. You share similar experiences. However, you've been there. This does not make the hurt go away. So what else can you do? Pray? Does that work?
A couple of weeks ago my 10 year-old son had his first baseball game. He played tee-ball when he was five but baseball had not made the rotation again until now. With four kids all under 10 years of age, you're forced into not playing the "life revolves around your kids' activities" game if you want to keep your sanity (this is another future blog topic in itself). He was excited and nervous. Excited because he loves sports and challenges. Nervous because he'd never played real baseball in a real game.
While playing right field, the traumatizing event occurred. I'm not going to share the particulars with the world but it's enough to know that it wasn't a missed fly ball or an errant throw. He ran off the field and we really only had the option of leaving. There was nothing I could do and nothing I could say. I knew as a grown-up that it was not the end of the world. However, I was also ten once, so I know that it doesn't matter what you'll know someday as a grown-up when your ten right now.
The rest of the story I'll let you read directly from my son. He has his own private blog where he likes to post and journal his life. I won't link you there but I do want to share what he learned.
"Last night I had my first baseball game. It was great, I mean, we were winning 3 to 2, until one moment in the outfield, I got a little sick lets say. I ran to my Dad and told him what happened. We ended up leaving the game early, and we lost. When I got home, I felt really disappointed to not finish my very first game. This is the cool part-When my Mom got home, she told me to pray about it. I went and prayed for at least 15-20 minutes, and next thing I know I feel like nothing happen! I thought I'd just share that with you. It's so awesome to know God's real. Now I can be sure God listens to prayer!"
I hope the lesson our Father taught him that night never leaves him. When mom and dad can't kiss it and make it better, our Father can.
Psalms 147:3 (ESV) 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
