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Our Littlest One has progressed in his journey in boyhood to the ER for some stitches this week. (hit with a toy by a friend) He was such a trooper and barely seems to notice them at all. Except, of course, when I have to clean the area and apply the anti bacterial gel. Thankfully his wound was at the top of his forehead going up into his hairline so I don't believe whatever scar is left over will be glaring.
I have absolutely no hard feelings toward the little boy (or his mom) who hurt my son. I know that he is learning how to communicate and that he would not have intentionally wounded him. Littlest one is already asking to play with him again so I am sure that it will be one of those things that they will laugh about down the road.. "Watch it buddy or I'll hit you with the cow flashlight again!" or a simple "Moo!" You know, that tender way in which boys tend to play!
The toughest thing for me to think about in all of this is that my children will endure many more "woundings" in life. Not just the physical bumps and bruises, but the woundings of the soul. Things that will shake their faith in other people and ultimately God. I know it is inevitable and in many ways necessary, but not much fun to think about. One of our first instincts involving our children is to protect them from harm. But it is often through pain and struggle that we learn and grow in ways that we otherwise could or would not.
Reflecting back on some of the woundings in my own life at the hands of others I can see some that were both intentional and unintentional - can't we all? The unintentional are easy to forgive and offer grace for. The intentional cut deeper and often with jagged edges that require a bit of stitching within our souls. Just as with a physical wound, it is essential that the wound is thoroughly cleaned and washed; an antibacterial agent applied to guard and protect the wound while it heals and to help reduce the scarring.
Our Creator and the Lover of our souls is waiting, as a loving parent, to wash those wounds with His own blood. He will quiet us with His love. He is the "balm of Gilead" to our hearts and souls. He will protect our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and help us to forgive. He is mighty to save and to heal. We will no longer to be slaves of those who have wounded us; but free from the anger and bitterness. Our lives may be forever changed from the situations; but as Beth Moore says in her Esther study: "You cannot separate your past from your destiny." Often, it is our "soul stitches" that give our destiny wings.
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Psalm 3:3 "But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Luke 6:28 "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
May He quiet you with His love today,
Shanda
71 comments:
Beautiful. Sorry for the injury--firsts like this seem the hardest to bear. When Jenny was 1.5, her brother accidently plowed into her (he was 3), and she opened her eyebrow on a baseboard. Who knew? It's either foreheads or chins, I was told by the e.r. staff--the protruberances.
I hope he feels better soon and that your momma's heart heals quickly. I know it's true, but it's so hard for me to fathom a love deeper, broader, and more in every way than a mother's love. And yet...that is God.
Wow... loved this post and Gretchen's comment. I had all the same feelings and comparisons when my son took his first "real" fall from a truck tailgate and got bumped good. Though I did not manage to post about it so eloquently or with the perfect scriptural references. Thanks for putting it to words!
(and thanks for the HTML tip - helps to know in advance! by the way... the Tuesday post would be open to any previous posts you've written that meet the theme... I know you have some amazing stories! It might be easier than you think to link up on Tuesdays! Hope you can join us. Blessings!)
Sorry for you injury little man. Hope you feel better real soon. Very good post mom.
Poor, precious Littlest One! What a trooper.
I, like you, have an instinct to protect my daughter from any wounds--physical or otherwise--but as your recent butterfly post reminds us, our attempts to help can sometimes hinder.
Praise God that nothing and no one escapes His vigilant watch!
I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
(Psalm 121)
Lovely post! Thank you for sharing!!! :) (And "Littlest One" is adorable...he'd fit right in with my "Oldest One." They look about the same age) :)
I love how when we are teachable God uses EVERYTHING. I am so sorry that it had to be your son's injury that sparked this time of learning.
I have learned that their injuries effect me long after they have moved on and forgotten about it.
Great post, and once again, there is my memory verse. That thing seems to be everywhere the last week or so. :)
Thanks for commenting on my blog giveaway! So nice to meet you! I appreciate your thoughtful post above.
Oh, Shanda... poor Littlest One! I'm so sorry that he was hurt, and so glad he has a heart for forgiveness. Isn't it amazing how little ones do that? They don't hold on to grudges or anger; they're so quick to get over it and move on. What happens to change that? At what point does anger set in, and memory get sharper and longer? I don't know, but I'll pray that for your sweet boy, it takes a while. Such a sweet, poignant post; I love it!
I have a question re Titus2 Tuesdays; would it be OK to link to an older post about a woman who has been an influence? There are times when I post about someone, but it isn't on a Tuesday, and I know if I wait, the moment will be gone. But I'd love to link some of those posts to your meme... if that's OK with you. Just let me know...
I wouldn't worry about the scar. Unless it makes you look totally like the Elephant man, a little scarring is just a badge of honor to us guys.
(what a handsome little guy)
I liked the way you segued from a natural to a spiritual lesson so flawlessly. As my mother-in-law says I usually bristle when some one touches on past church related wounds. You charmingly sucked me into a touching story, then totally flailed me with a spiritual one. (I think I will come out looking like Elephant man on this one.) Anyway gr8 post, and it is something that I will definitely be talking to Dad about..........Thanks for sharing
Lovely, lovely post. Perfect title and perfect photo - (I want to hold Littlest One in my arms!)
Your writing here makes me so thankful for the healing balm of Jesus. What a loving, merciful God.
How incredibly insightful and so very, very true.
Hope you have a wonderful SITS day!
Here from SITS. I have to tell you how much I enjoyed this post. I have thought about the wounds my stepchildren endure on an emotional level quite often. And your words truly helped put my mind at ease as recently I have been especially worried about them.
Very well said. My son had stitches last year at 3 years old, a total of 12. He was such a trooper though, me, not so much. ha!
Beautiful thanks for sharing! Your little one is so brave! It is sooo hard when our children get hurt!
Have a great and wonderful SITS day!
Awesome post. My boy just had a stomach wash cos he swallowed some wrong meds. Sigh. Hurts me more than him, but I guess it is all part of the bringing up BOYS process. :) Here's to a stronger heart!
Great post! My heart aches sometimes for all of the things that I know my children will go through. Oh how I wish we could all live in a bubble! ;)
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Gorgeous post. I love the way you write, it's so engaging.
Poor little man, I hope he heals quickly and that photo is adorable.
What a comforting a beautiful way to view life. Thank you.
You have such inspirational insight! I hope your little guy heals quickly!
So sorry about the booboo, but this was a beautiful post:0)
Shanda, stopping by from SITS.....what a gorgeous post.
I think it's harder to watch our children go through something than to go through it ourselves. It gives me a new appreciation for the love of our Father in giving us his only son.
I can't wait to do the new Esther study!
It's so difficult to see your child hurting. But it's a reflection of what God must feel for us when we are hurting.
You are a wonderful writer. I'm glad to have found you through SITS.
happy SITS day- my hubby and I were just talking about this the other day- about when it will happen (since he constantly rushes and trips over hsi won feet all day) and hwo we'll handle it (emotionally mostly)-thanks!!!
beautiful......sorry about the boo boo though
Stitches are NOT fun at all!
I never had any stitches and our 4 yr old has not had any major injuries as well. I do see some in our future, he is quite an adventurer!
Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Ahhh... poor little guy. My little boy got hurt a couple of weeks ago and now has a scar on his cheek. It breaks my heart, but he doesn't pay attention excpet when I'm putting on the mederma! Wonderful post.
Beautifully written...I am always worried what kind of 'woundings' the Princess Nagger will have to endure as she grows up...I can only trust that God won't give her too much to handle in order for her to 'learn' as she gets older.
Happy SITS Day! :)
When one of our kids gets hurt, it seems to hurts us more than it hurts them.
Aww... poor little guy! I hope he's all better now :)
So sweet that your son wanted to play with his friend. Sweet innocents.
After I had my first kid, when she was about a year old, it hit me that soon I would have to take her to school and I was worried what might happen. Kids can be mean:(
visiting from SITS - Happy SITS day!
Happy SITS day to you! Too bad not everyone can have the great attitude you and your son had about the accident. There were a couple of incidents smaller than yours when my kids were younger that ended play dates permanently(not on my side, however). I am a very protective mother, even still to my 16, 14, and 12 year old children. But I know when an accident is an accident.
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Beautiful post and wonderful illustration.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in such a beautiful way. I'm so glad that you're the feature on SITS today, I've loved reading your posts.
Very touching post. Gave me goosebumps and reflection!
Stitches always seemed horrible to me, so I admire his courage.
This is beautiful, Shanda, and so heartwarming. I dread those soul injuries more than the physical ones for my son, too.
Well said. Sometimes I think my sons deal with it better than I do:)
that's right.
Yep, I'm totally gonna start following you. I guess God drew me here today!
Nice post.
Congrats on being FB today
I have such a fear of my child ever getting hurt-- I'm sure it will hurt me way more than it will ever hurt her!
Happy SITS Day!
It's true: we can't protect them from everything. It's a right of passage to come to our own terms of faith and love, no matter how it manifests. I look forward to the journey with my kids.
Loved this post! Happy SITS Day!
My son is at the age where he is always getting hurt and I hate it! Thank you for the post!
Very well said. That's a great reminder for everyone. :)
So true, and that feeling never goes away, it just changes in direction. Happy SiTS day.
Found you on SITS! I remember when my little boy had to get stitches. He proudly shows off his scar today.
We just wish we could protect them from wounds to come that will surely be less superficial than these.
Oh what a lovely piece of writing! You just summed it up beautifully only with God's love can we help our children heal those extra deep psychological wounds. Love and light to you from South Africa.
wow, I am so thankful God placed you as teh FB blogger today! I needed to be reminded of this and to see this message.
and as a mom my heart ached knowing their will be trials. I pray that I model for my children how to draw closer to God when life throws a curve ball
SO true, children can't even begin to imagine the trials and real pain only yet to come.
Happy SITS day!
If only stitches could be so easily put on all the wounds. The ache you feel when your child is sad is so hard to deal with. Like you, I am so thankful for a loving Father who feels our pain and gave His son to relieve it.
Visiting from SITS, thank you for this thoughtful post. I have two sons and know the urgent care staff well.
I totally understand, I have 4 kiddos my sons 8 and 6 have never had to have stitches, my daughters are a different story, my 4 year old has had 2 sets of stitches, and my three year old just had her first. Hopefully your son feels better soon!
Thank you for such a thoughtful post. I'm visiting from SITS. As a teacher, I'm glad you realize that it's important for children to learn how to deal with hurt, whether physical or emotional. If they are protected and never experience these things, they don't know what to do or feel as adults.
Such a beautiful-beautiful post...thanks for sharing those wonderful thoughts. ♥
Oh I bet that mom was mortified. Poor woman! I'm glad you don't hold it against her at all. We had our first ER injury visit (as opposed to ER sick visits) last month when Mister Man broke his arm at church... if only we could protect them from everything!
What a beautiful reflection. Thank you.
Lovely post, coming over from SITS, it was a pleasure reading.
Another beautiful post! I love the way you put your thoughts together...very thought provoking and also so true.
Xazmin
My youngest son had frequent flyer points at the local ER.
Lovely post!
As a first time mother with a 3 month old, this post touched on something I had been grappling with the last several weeks.
What a beautiful post. I guess all we can really do is instill our faith in them, and make sure they know that we are always there for them, no matter how hurt they are. Happy SITS day!
I love love love this post! I knew there was a reason I stayed up late tonight and stopped by SITS. It was to find you.
Oh poor baby!!
Stopped by from SITS for a late SITS day. I have 3 kids and I feel the same way that you do. There are so many things out there that we can't protect our kids from. We can't protect them 24-7 for the rest of their lives. Thank God for the power of prayer, especially the power a parent's prayer has towards his or her children
Another great thought provoking post! :)
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