WHAT TO DO
“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”
1 John 4:16
What are parents to do when their child is sick and there is nothing they can do to help? The only and best thing they can do – go to God in prayer! Whether it is a minor boo-boo, or a life-threatening situation doesn’t really matter. What matters is for the child to be well, as far as the parents are concerned. A minor boo-boo can be seen as being able to heal quickly. As a result, the parents also quickly allay their fears. But when the situation is more serious, the fears of the parents mirror the situation. Trusting God in that time can be difficult. We must let go of what is most precious to us and trust God to do what we cannot do.
This scenario is true for many circumstances, not just parent and child. Any time someone has another person who is close to them go through any difficulties in life, regardless of what they might be, it causes the same type of reaction – fear. Thankfully, for those of us who believe in God, we don’t need to remain is a state of fear. We can remember that God’s perfect love drives out all fear. And, that no matter what happens, God is always with us and with the ones dear to us that we pray for.
The most important thing to do is to focus on God’s love. God‘s love is perfect, pure, powerful, and intense! God’s love is perfect enough to drive out fear. God’s love is pure enough to comfort. God’s love is powerful enough to heal. God’s love is intense enough to do what we cannot do. God’s love never runs out. God’s love is forever!
Father God,
When someone dear to us has difficulties, especially the kind that we cannot do anything about, please fill us and those for whom we pray with your love; your perfect, pure, powerful, and intense love so that fear is driven out and healing comes. And Lord if it be your will for our loved one to depart from us, help us to feel your comforting love as we acknowledge their arrival home with You. Amen.
Denise Clark, CLM
