“Mom, I’m going bald!”
I ran to my screaming nine-year-old and was overwhelmed by what I saw. My sweet, beautiful girl was combing clumps of hair out, and we were afraid it wouldn’t stop. I thought my faith was strong, but in that moment of trauma, I felt as if mine was quickly running down the drain. Fear showed up instantly, flashing the worst-case scenario.
In my panic, God reminded me of something I already knew. We have a God who loves our kids even more than we do. They are His. While I admit it’s easier to accept this when all is well, the realization led me back to hope, knowing that God had her no matter what. The situation reminded me to trust in Him and help my daughter learn to do the same. I worked to calm her down by reminding her of God’s love and power. We prayed and tried our best to give our fears to God.
It might not feel so, but God is always working. If we search, we will see some of what He’s doing in our tough stuff. I saw it in the people who answered the phone to offer wisdom and prayer. God moved schedules the next day to allow a doctor to see my daughter. My husband kept confident and calm. The doctors knew which tests to run to rule out the big stuff. All of these things assured us. While we don’t understand what caused our daughter’s hair to fall out, seeing God’s hand in all this gave me peace amid the uncertainty. I would trust God with the rest.
We all go through tough stuff. Instead of getting hung up on all our questions, we can consider what God is already doing in our circumstances. Let what you find build your confidence in His power and remind you of the love He has for you and your family. Seeing His provisions and constant work will help you create a bigger and bolder faith in Him. We don’t get complete understanding now, so build up your faith and keep praying. God has you and yours.
Diane Ohlson was born and raised in the Midwest and has claimed Kansas City as home for the past thirteen years where she lives with her husband and three children. She graduated from University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Social Work and a minor in psychology. Her passion for helping people has allowed her to serve in the healthcare industry for the past twenty-two years. She believes God is calling her to open up and share her faith through writing to encourage others along on their journey with Jesus.