Putting It In Perspective - Peace of Mind

Do you ever have something happen that seems to put everything else around you in perspective? That happened to me two nights ago.

One minor thing, Baby Girl has the Chicken Pox. I found the spots on her before her bath. Thankfully she is handling it like a trooper, just as lively as ever.

The second, much larger thing, is that during Bugaboo's bath, I discovered a dark red bunch near the end of his pee-pee (as we call it in our house). Talk about making my heart stop for a moment. Bugaboo is Autistic, and isn't always able to describe things to me, like if it hurts, and if so, where and how much. I asked him questions about how long it had been there (all the while, berating myself for not noticing it sooner if it had been there awhile), but wasn't able to figure it out.

Freak out time. My Mom told me on the phone yesterday (one of those moments when I wish we didn't live 2500 miles apart) that a Mother never stops worrying about her kids, and that she is praying for us. Worry. I tend to worry about little things. Unimportant, inconsequential things. I hope my hair looks okay. Should I try to fit in, or be myself. My car isn't a new and/or expensive model. I need to lose about 25 pounds. My kids aren't always dressed perfectly and sometimes have a little dirt on them ( they're kids...it happens). Gasp, my house isn't always in perfect order (okay, it rarely is). I wonder what people think about me. If I say what I want to say, will it offend. And on and on....

What good does worrying do? Does it help resolve the situation? Does it make me feel better about myself and life? Does it matter if my friends don't always agree with my beliefs, opinions, points of view? Wouldn't true friends like you no matter how you dress, what you believe, or what you have to say?

I was up half the night, looking for answers as to what Bugaboo has, on the Internet. I didn't find answers, but I did find more to worry about. I found anything from benign, doesn't need to be treated cysts, to penile cancer. During that time, I started thinking about how useful worrying about it is. Guess what? It isn't useful at all. Big shocker. There is a quote that I like, and I need to listen to it a little more.

"Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere."

No kidding. Time to be active about the situation. I called the next morning to get him a doctor's appointment. I immediately felt better just knowing we might have an answer soon, and prayed like crazy that it wasn't anything serious.

Putting things in perspective. This gave me a kick in the backside, making me see how I waste my time, worrying about things that don't really matter. I am who I am, and I can't and won't be something else to please others. That's no way to live life. It's hard to not worry about the bigger, more important things. I think it is an impossible request to not worry about your kids/family. How I handle it can be changed. Just making that phone call to the doctor made me feel better. Praying about it made me feel better. Reading a few verses about worry made me feel better. I want to share a few of those with you.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."  Psalm 46:1

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."   Matthew 6:34

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."   Psalm 121:1-2


Peace of Mind is worth a lot. Rolling up your sleeves to try and change whatever situation is worrying you is much better than letting it build, fester, to the point that it consumes you. Talk to your friends & family. Pray about it. Get some ideas about how to try and resolve the situation that is worrying you. Look worry in the face and say, "I will no longer give you free rent in my head!"

Last night I asked Bugaboo how "it" was feeling. He said, "it's better! It's shrunk!" I looked, and he was right! The bunch looked deflated, and guess what?? This morning, it was gone. I'm thinking now that maybe it was a large blood blister (maybe it got pinched or something). Whatever it was, I've been on cloud 9 all morning, and thanking God for the health of my kids.

I hope this helps even one person. What do you worry about? Does it help the situation? What do you do to stop worrying? I hope you'll let me know.



~ Thanks for stopping by ~

Jaime