Battles

One evening I was making dinner with baby 2 hangin’ in the bouncer and I heard the beginnings of frustration-whine coming from big girl’s bedroom. I kept my ears open but waited. Independent and persistent, big sister has always been surprisingly good at getting herself out of sticky situations.

Alas, the whining turned to wailing and I began slowly walking to her room. Since she hadn’t asked for help yet, I didn’t want to compromise her confidence by interrupting too soon. When I peaked around the corner, I immediately put my hand to my mouth, suppressing laughter.

Sis was trying to put on—what appeared to be—her 22nd pair of underwear.

Lord, is it hard to put on a serious face when kids do something so cute and innocent as this. She was distraught! The struggle! The 22nd pair would NOT GO ON!

I approached. “Sweetie, that’s a lot of underwear. You only need to wear one at a time.”

She was not having it. Once I was there, the crying was even louder. She really wanted to wear all her new underwear at once.

Eventually, she gave in, of course. We settled on one pair and (I) put the rest away.

Is it not a little sad when our kids won’t ask for our help when they really need it? How often do we ignore help from our Father? Wail quietly, then maybe a little louder, vent to our besties, but ultimately forget to look heavenward and ask for help. So reliant on our own breathing techniques** and worldly coping mechanisms, we miss out on the best help of all from the One who loves us more than anyone.

Give all your battles to Christ, Mamas. Sometimes I read these incredible miracles in the Bible and I think, this is the baseline for needing help. It’s not.

Christ is here for every battle. Whether you’re battling an addition, the grief of a loved one lost, misalignment with your spouse, or just trying to put your underwear on.

Emily

Have more time? Here’s a song by Phil Wickham that gets me dancing free of life’s battles (that I heard live last weekend and it’s so, so good!!), “Battle Belongs.”

“So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to You.”

**Breathing techniques are REALLY GOOD for you and kiddos. When I’m in anxious-need of a reset: I hold onto a countertop (or something rooted in the ground), close my eyes, breathe in praying “Be still…” and out praying “…and know.” Psalm 46.