My heart is ripping for the parents of that little boy in Pennsylvania. A freak accident. Perhaps a small error in judgement? Who knows... it happened, regardless. I ache for them and cry for them whenever I think I about it.
It could have happened to anyone.
My world has changed since my boys were born. Whereas before, I could pity; now, I have a mother's love and an overactive imagination. How do I keep myself from fearing that something drastic would happen to my kids? How do allow them to play in the front yard, if there is a slim possibility that someone was texting and veered over the curb? How do I let them learn to climb a tree if they could fall and break a leg? How do I mother my kids with these fears? I do not know how to encourage exploration of their world without stifling them with my fear.
Lord, give me Hannah's faith... faith that you will care for my children; that I can entrust them to you. Help me to love my children as they should be loved. Help my love not to be guided by a fear of disaster, but help me to love them simply because they deserve to be loved. Put my anxieties and fears to rest. I am not perfect, Father. Help me to be the best mother that I can be. Keep me from envying others that I cannot live up to, and keep me from judging others who do things differently.
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
(Psalm 56:3-4 ESV)
Oh I know! This story really rattled me. We've been to that zoo. It could have been anyone, it seems. It really makes such tragedies so much more personal now that I'm a mom. I used to work in news, and I can barely read the news anymore because of so many heart-breaking stories such as these.
ReplyDeleteI love your prayer at the end.
A lot of people were really shaken by this: post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburgh-zoo-mauling-death-disconcerts-parents-kids-660822/
ReplyDelete"When these horrible, unpredictable, unplanned events happen, we all need to have a reason," he said. "If it's really out of control, that's what makes it so scary. We want to think that we have control, so if we blame the zoo, blame the family, it's better than thinking it's a freak accident that could happen to any of us."
DeleteThis is exactly what I'm dealing with. I've been dwelling on it, and I shouldn't. So far, I thankfully haven't seen anyone that I know placing blame. My imagination is just going wild, thinking about what is going through that mother and father's minds. They are definitely in my prayers right now.
Beautiful post. I cried when I heard about that family in Pennsylvania too, and they've been on my mind ever since . . . and i'm glad to know I'm not the only one with an overactive imagination! I'm always thinking of things that could happen to my kids, which can be good, but I have to balance that with trusting the Lord with my children too. Thanks for sharing this.
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