When children are sick

Everywhere I turn I am hearing about friends whose kiddos have come down with this, that and the other.  One family at my church had a child with chicken pox.  Another had scarlet fever!  Additionally, I know of multiple families whose children have had the flu or a virus more than once, or strep or ear infections, etc.

Every mom (and probably dad) knows how pitiful it is when their children are sick, especially when they are up at night, and just appear to be plain miserable.  Our hearts break for them, wishing we could take away the sickies with a magic wand.

I realized today that I am so thankful that when Susie is sick (as she was through the night last night), I care for her without any sort of TRUE FEAR that she won't recover.  I may let myself worry a little, and certainly feel distressed in the middle of things, but I do expect her to get better, even if it takes time.  I remember reading once about a mother who had adopted several children with AIDS and other horrible diseases.  She spoke about the horror of holding your child while she was ill, and not knowing if it would truly be all right.  She called on western mothers with generally healthy children to pray for the faith of the parents of these severely sick children, that they would trust in God's sovereignty and give them the grace they needed to walk down that terrible road.  

Let our children's sicknesses (and our own) be a reminder to pray for those who suffer continually, sometimes without hope of recovery.