Releasing the Knots in My Stomach and Worries Away

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

I use to be the queen of worry when it came to my boys. Sometimes I fall back and let worry creep in. I’ve learned a few tricks that kick my worries and knots that form in my stomach to the curb.

It’s an everyday ritual of soaking my son’s in prayer. I ask God to form a shield of protection over them, give them traveling mercies, and remind them to use good judgement in all that they do. I also pray for them in their “mess ups.” I pray that when they “mess up,” for God to instill wisdom and for them to learn from their mistakes.

I have been blessed with some amazing and strong women as my role models. Letha Parker, Jacob’s Godmother, prayed with me one day and made me see something very clearly. I was in the hospital when I was pregnant with Jacob. He was trying to come very early. I was so filled with worry that I was making myself sick. Letha called me in the hospital and prayed with me over the phone for Jacob’s protection. The next sentence that came out of Letha’s mouth was one that made my eyes widen and has stuck with me since. She said, “Lord, I know that this sweet boy is yours and you are loaning him to Nicky and Susan. “ That just put so much in perspective for me and I realized how much God loves my boys too.

So every time fear and worry creep in, this is my first thought followed by my prayer of soaking my children in God’s protection.

I read a devotional this morning called “Putting the Basket in the Water: Trusting God in the Next Phase of Your Child’s Life.” The devotional shows how Moses’s mother hid him until she no longer could and then put him in a basket in the water. Not knowing what would happen to him, she trusted God. This part hit home. “There comes a time – many times, actually – in the lives of our children where we have to put the basket in the water. We have to let go and trust the plan of the Father. The world is a scary place – a place where we fear our children could drown. But we must remember that we have to let go so that God can draw them from the waters for His great purpose. He has called us to be their parents, but they were His first.”

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Counting My Blessings,

Susan Browder