Loose Teeth
Our son has a loose tooth. Having this new loose tooth that gets looser by the day is a new experience for him. And it worries him. He shared his worries with me after school. He is worried it will hurt when it comes out, worried about the blood (he can’t stand the sight of by blood), and worried it will just fall out randomly or even that all his teeth will fall out. I tried to reassure him and offer him some comfort about this part of life by sharing my own teeth experiences with him and praying for him to have peace about it.
Talking with him at a time when he feels nervous and afraid reminded me of my own worries I have faced through my growing up years. I can remember specific worries I have had… like worries in middle school about how to handle a situation with girls who were bullies, in high school that I would fall down the steps with my lunch tray, and in college to be leaving home and being on my own for the first time. Looking back these seem so trivial, but at the time they were such big deals. And as we become adults, we face a whole new set of experiences that can cause worry….from finding a job, paying student loans, or planning a wedding to raising teenagers, dealing with aging parents, or losing a spouse. Because of the unknown, each of these situations can cause worries to arise in our hearts.
As I sat with my son and tried to reassure him about his tooth, I wanted him to know that it was okay for him to feel unsure about the unknown. I didn’t want to laugh at him or make it seem like it was no big deal because to him it is a really big deal. I just wanted to help ease his worries since I have been through loose teeth and other worries about growing up myself.
God is the same way with His children. Last week I saw a bird hopping around in the snow, pecking at the ground trying to find some food. I thought if God ca
res about that little bird, how much more does He care for me and you?
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
He doesn’t want us to carry around our worries thinking that they are too small and insignificant to matter to Him; He wants us to give them to Him because He is concerned about the smallest details of our lives.
Isn’t it comforting that we have a God who loves us and cares about every detail of our lives as we grow up? You’re probably not worried about loose teeth, but whatever it is, remember that it matters to God. He cares for you.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7
Have a day of blessings!
Your caring and sensitivity is so obvious Bethany. You know that this is troubling him and so you are right there with him, gently loving and assuring him. And, you are so right, this is the same way that our Loving Father treats all of our concerns and worries.
Andie
I am so thankful that you are handling this the way you are and being so supportive to our boy.
I remember when you were going through some of the things you mentioned and how they were a great concern to you at that time. I also remember when you were a little older having a talk with you at one point and trying to explain to you how what you were going through was “an inch” of your life in the scheme of things. How God is taking care of you through it and although as a Momma I would like to be able to prevent such worries, it was important that I showed you that it’s “normal” to have such worries and Who to go to with them.
I am so proud of you!
Amen, Bethany. I am glad that God cares, for the small and the big things in our lives. When I start to worry, I know where to look for comfort.
You are a sweet blessing.