How to Trust God When Your Babies Get Sick - Cali McCormac

When I was a child, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I got sick. I hardly ever missed school and my parents never had to take sick days. All in all we were a pretty healthy crew.  As a new mom, I kind of just expected that was the way things would go for my own family.  Sure, babies get sick, but I thought it would just be an every now and then kind of a thing like when I was growing up.  It’s funny to think how much our own experiences shape our expectations for the future.
 
Little did I know that my son’s story would be drastically different than my own.  I’m the proud Mama to fun, friendly, smiley little 19 month-old boy. Most people would describe him as an easy baby and a joy to be around, and I would agree!  But, he usually comes down with some kind of virus every few weeks. He’ll run a super hot fever (around 103) for a few days before it finally breaks, and then we’ll bide our time until the next go-round. Our pediatrician knows us by name at this point, and he usually says, “Just a virus, nothing you can do but give him Tylenol until it passes.” We’ve followed the vaccine schedule to the letter, done every wellness check and preventative measure, and even got tubes in his ears to try and prevent more sickness, but he still follows a pretty predictable schedule when it comes to getting sick. At the time I’m writing this, we just went through a week of Roseola. (I didn’t even know that was a thing, but here we are!)
 
Mamas, I don’t have to tell you how hard it is when your babies get sick. I know you. I know that you are up late at night rocking their feverish little bodies trying to help them get back to sleep. I know that you are cleaning up the projectile vomit and diarrhea all while trying to calm your crying child. I know that you are wishing you could just take the pain away, and that your little one would not have to suffer through this.  This mom gig is not for the faint of heart, and it can be tempting to wonder where God is in the middle of it all. Here are a few important things to remember:
 
GOD LOVES YOUR BABIES MORE THAN YOU DO
 
Psalm 139:13 says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Sometimes as the ones who carried our babies, we forget that God was the one who created them. He knows our children intimately. He loves them deeply and has a plan for their lives that we can’t yet see or understand. We can trust God with our sick children, because he made them and loves them on a level that we can’t even fathom!
 
GOD IS REFINING YOU THROUGH YOUR SICK CHILD
 
I hate it when my kid gets sick. Every single time, I think “Seriously!?!  Again!?!” I know that it means I’m going to lose sleep for a few days. I know it means my little one is going to be fussy and hard to comfort. I know that it means doctor visits and medicine that he is not going to want to take, and that I’m going to worry if he’s getting enough sleep or enough to eat.  It means paying for daycare that we aren’t going to use and rearranging my work schedule. (Fortunately, I work for a family-friendly Christian organization that allows me to work from home when my child is ill. Just saying…)
 
What I’ve realized over the past year and a half is that God is using my child’s illness to grow me in my faith.  I’ve had to rely on him more when I’m so tired that I just don’t have anything else to give. I’ve had to admit that I am not the one in control. He’s deepened my prayer life and my patience. He’s teaching me self-sacrifice, as I put my own needs aside so that I can care for my son. As a person who struggles with anxiety, especially when it comes to getting sick, I have seen the most growth in this area. I still worry and get fearful when my child spikes a fever, but I’m much quicker to give those feelings over to the Lord, so that I can take care of my baby. Remember that we are refined in the fire and not when everything is going ok. 
 
CARING FOR YOUR LITTLE ONES IS KINGDOM WORK
 
It may not seem like cleaning up vomit is doing much to advance the kingdom of God, but hear me out! Whether you work outside of the home or are a stay at home mom, your number one ministry is to your family. And the work of discipleship to your children starts long before they can read the Bible or understand the Gospel. When you care for your sick babies, you are displaying the love of God in the way He cares for us. When you comfort your little one, you are showing how God is the source of all comfort. When your children are older, and you tell them how Jesus healed the sick, they will remember how you loved them well when they were sick. God is laying the groundwork for salvation in the way we care for our children, even in difficult times.  
 
Dear friends, if you are going through a season where your baby is constantly getting sick, know that God has you. He sees you and hears your prayers. He cares about your child more than you can possibly know!  Lean on Him when it is tempting to get frustrated or worried. You can trust Him with your babies and with your heart.
 
Written by one of our own Sky Ranch Staff...
Cali McCormac
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