God’s Got This

My son shouts from the backseat, “Mom! We’ll get flu shots in October, right?”

“Yes son, but it’s only July. We don’t need to worry about it.”

The fact that we were three months early did not deter him from his questioning. He was stuck in a time trap remembering last October when we received family flu shots. He was reliving that moment and worrying about it’s reoccurrence.

This actually happens a lot with him. It is a product of his anxiety disorder, his mind working over time to accommodate his over-active imagination and steel trap memory. My heart aches for him at times when I’m unsuccessful talking him off a proverbial ledge, but at the same time I  see a lot of myself in him.

I worry more than I should. My imagination also works overtime at convincing me reality isn’t what it seems. Just the other day, I had a near panic attack when my mom didn’t respond to my text messages. I began envisioning awful scenarios and nearly sent out a search party.

She was just taking a nap.

When someone says, “don’t worry about it” or “it’ll be fine”, I don’t find myself relieved or less worrisome. Neither does my son. Needless to say, it’s been a struggle dealing with his anxiety, finding strategies that work to help calm his nerves. As an adult, I have strategies and a strong faith that help me through, but how do I convey that to my almost nine-year old?

I don’t have the magic answer, but we do have a magic phrase.

God’s got this!

When worry plagues my son’s mind, I remind him God’s got this. When my thoughts start down the wrong path of fear, I remind myself God’s got this.

God hasn’t let us down before and He won’t start now. God held our hand through family flu shots last year and He’ll do so again in October. My son and I both find peace in knowing God’s got this.

Worry hasn’t disappeared with our magic phrase, but it sure does seem less significant. Having a steadfast God takes a huge burden off this momma’s shoulders when it comes to quelling fears and worries. When I can rest assured our God will handle it, so can my son.

In your life, remember God’s got this with these Bible verses …

Matthew 6: 25-34

“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 than food, and the body more 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?  Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.

Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.