Today one of the girls had a follow-up pulmonology appointment at our children's hospital. To say she was dreading it would be putting it lightly. The appointment itself is pretty easy but I think it was going to the children's hospital, performing the breathing tests over and over to get it just right, and the fear of the exam itself. It started with worry, then fear, then a snotty attitude.
At the beginning I even listed some of my lovely pregnancy appts. up ahead but she responded, "but Mom I'm not forty yet!" On the way home I talked about offering a little suffering we have for someone who is really suffering. Our suffering can be a prayer, an offering to God on behalf of someone else. This is when I stopped and realized (silently of course), "hey why am I not doing this!"
There are so many couples dying to have children, women who have terrible pregnancies, and if God gives us another child who am I to complain about any inconvenience, discomfort, or unfounded worry. I need to walk my talk and offer to God my miniscule difficulties for the many who truly suffer.
After the appointment she walked to the car mad because she was expecting it to be her last appt. there and the doctor asked to see her again in late Summer. I explained that everyone has something. I listed her sister's dental issues, another's asthma, friends recent outpatient surgery to remove a skin issue, her cousin's eye surgery, and all the poor sick kids in that hospital who are truly suffering.
At the beginning I even listed some of my lovely pregnancy appts. up ahead but she responded, "but Mom I'm not forty yet!" On the way home I talked about offering a little suffering we have for someone who is really suffering. Our suffering can be a prayer, an offering to God on behalf of someone else. This is when I stopped and realized (silently of course), "hey why am I not doing this!"
There are so many couples dying to have children, women who have terrible pregnancies, and if God gives us another child who am I to complain about any inconvenience, discomfort, or unfounded worry. I need to walk my talk and offer to God my miniscule difficulties for the many who truly suffer.
3 comments:
What a great post! It is amazing how they can make things so clear to us when we are trying to teach them. I always forget that I should offer these oh so minor sufferings for those that suffer much.
Thanks for reminding me!
(I deleted because I didn't proof read before I published! Where is the spell check?)
Yes, don't children have a way of teaching us? Its OK to sometimes have a little pity party now and then, and then go back to the silent suffering. Sometimes it does feel better just to have someone understand, and then you go on. One day you will look back and will have long forgotten today's suffering and experience the joy again!
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