Tuesday was a rough day at the Dr.’s office. The girls both had their yearly well-child exams and immunizations. Both were quite excited to see Dr. Rhonda and give her the pictures they’d colored for her!

…BUT… 

all that changed when the needle came out.

(click to continue)

Now, my precious Nya bug is a tough girl. Tough when it comes to dealing with sickness, discomforts, bumps, scrapes, and other typical “catastrophes” that happen to 5-yr-olds. She’s the kind of kid that can be incredibly sick but act as though she’s on top of the world! She recently endured a procedure that would send most adult women into tears, and did so with bravery and compliance in the midst of incredible pain.

BUT

you mention the word shot, poke, or needle and suddenly a metamorphosis occurs. It’s like watching the Hulk. 

 

 

Suddenly my sweet, well-mannered, adoring conversationalist turns into a screaming, flailing woman-of-wrath with strength that rivals 3 nurses! Fear has a way of doing that, doesn’t it? Our bodies were created by the Father in an amazing way to react to fear with increased strength…the fight or flight syndrome. However… I can’t say I was particularly amazed by my daughter’s increased strength in this particular instance. 

At one point I asked the nurses to excuse us for a moment while Nya and I had this little conversation:

“Nya, you must cooperate and trust me on this. There is no other option. 

If you don’t get these shots you could get very sick.”

“That’s okay with me. I don’t mind being sick.“

“But you could die from one of these sicknesses if we don’t give you these shots.”

“I’m okay dying, I really am. Just don’t make me get these shots.”

Fear has a way of distorting our view, skewing our perspective, making us behave irrationally, causing sin to rise up, invoking extreme measures of self-protection.

I am not all that different from my 5-yr-old really.

In fact I created this same type of scene during many visits to the doctor’s office when I was a child…
(so sorry Grandma & Grandpa)

Now that I am grown I no longer fear shots, praise God!

But fear still beckons me at times…

“don’t go there, you’ll get hurt…”

“don’t love them, they’ll reject you”

“don’t forgive that offense, it might happen again”
“don’t do that, you’ll fail”

And at times I respond in the same way my 5-yr-old did:
“I’m okay being sick. I’m okay dying… just don’t make me do this, Lord…”

And my Lord responds to me:
“Niki, you must cooperate and trust Me on this. There is no other option.”

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my
victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10