I’m a Mom: Their Natural Defenses, My Peace of Mind
[Our Everyday Things is in the I’m a Mom online contest! Voting is open till 10 November! Thanks everyone!] And oh btw, comments are disabled for this post ya … ]
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
When we parents are asked about our kids and whether or not we have some kind of worries about them, I think we all would say, ‘Yes’!
When babies are born, parents tend to worry if they’re growing the way ‘they should’.
When it’s time to introduce solids and formula milk, parents tend to worry if they’ve chosen the ‘right’ one for their kids.
When toddlers start to walk, parents tend to worry if they’ll tumble and suffer injuries.
When little ones start going to school, parents worry about the kinds of germs they’re getting from their friends.
The list goes on and on.
And.
All this makes me wonder about whether or not it’s ‘okay’ for us to worry (about our kids, in this case).
Because really, as much as we’ve done our best for our kids, like boosting their bodies’ immune system, the reality is … we often still don’t have THAT ‘peace of mind’.
I read a book on this (called ‘Pengudusan Emosi’ or ‘The Sanctification of Emotion’, by Rev. Stephen Tong) and I just thought of sharing some points that I personally find insightful (and hopefully useful to you).
Here goes:
> People who worry will tend to regard everything else (other than THEIR worries) as not that important. They’ll tend to focus on their worries, and not much on anything else.
> According to one study on human psychology, 90% of what people worry about do NOT actually take place (ie. most of what we worry about never comes to pass)
> When we keep on worrying about things, we in fact are putting psychological boundaries around ourselves, limiting ourselves from doing things that perhaps will actually be more ‘fruitful’ and positive.
…
I think it’s all natural if we want to have peace of mind.
Especially when it comes to the well-being of our own kids.
Most of us would probably say, ‘Yep, I want peace of mind. I know it’s better not to worry much. But HOW do I do that? What should I do to not worry much?’
…
‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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
…
And here’s what I’d like to share:
> When it says, ‘… present your requests to God’, it does NOT mean we run away from our responsibilities and stop caring about the things that we used to feel worried about.
> ‘… present your requests to God’ means we should continually tell God about everything, about our worries and our thoughts, while we still carry out our responsibilities.
> It means, we should pray before Him, tell Him what we need and what we’re worried about, ask for His grace, and give thanks to Him for His help.
…
Now.
Coming back to having peace of mind in relation to my own kids, these are two things (out of many) that I know I should always remember:
While I pray for the kids’ health,
I must also remember to do things that will help boost their natural defenses (eg. balanced diet, vitamins, sufficient rest, exercise)
While I have concerns about the kinds of (bad) influences / pressures they may get at school when I’m not with them,
I must remember to not only pray for them, but also lovingly instill and teach them important life values since young, so that they too learn to make the right choices on their own, and naturally fend for themselves and their beliefs.
…
I should perhaps further elaborate on what I’ve shared above. But this post would then be seemingly never-ending *smile*
Well.
All I know is that, I still have SO many things – about life and about being a Mom – that I still need to learn and implement.
And that I need to rely more on God’s grace and help every day, to have the true ‘peace of mind’.
