Kendall, Flu shots, and a glimpse of God...

Here’s a heartbreaker for you…

So, my daughter has been a little under the weather, she’s 3 ½ years old. My wife makes an appointment with Dr. Hudson to see exactly what’s going on with her. Turns out that it’s an ear infection. A little medication and she’ll be back to normal. All is well, so far…

But here is where the excitement begins…

Before I left for Campus Ministry (Innermission) that morning, my wife and I decided that it would probably be a wise idea to get her a Flu shot while the doctor is examining her. (We all know how much children love shots, right?!) Well her appointment is at 10:30 so I decide to go to the Doctors office to meet them and help out with this process. The appointment went well; she laughed with, and at the doctor, and was in a great mood, for the most part. But then the moment of truth; we had been preparing her for the shot by talking and laughing about it, and she was laughing too. But then the nurse walked in with the syringe…
Immediately she crossed her arms and put her little hands over each arm at the place where shots are normally given. (This was really cute) But then the nurse begin rubbing her thigh with the alcohol prep pad, so she moved her little hand from covering her arms to her thigh while repeating “no shot”, “no shot”, “no shot”. Well, I can’t just watch my little girl get a shot without holding her and telling her it will be ok soon, but there is one more thing that I’ve always had to do with her that breaks my heart. I have to hold her little arms while it happens so she doesn’t get up or just interfere with the process.

So here is where we are at this point…

I’m leaning across her at her little belly area while holding both of her arms down. It is crushing to look into the eyes of your daughter while this is going on, because you know that she is thinking - daddy help me, save me from this. But you’re the one holding her down. Does she know that this is really good for her? Does she know that daddy would take any pain from her except for the kind of pain that can potentially save her life? I love and adore my little girl, and trust her to know it, and she does.

God trusts us to know He loves us so much more than I could ever love my daughter. I can’t even grasp that thought, but I think it’s really cool. And to think of the times that His heart has broken while he has had to lay across me and hold my hands while I look at him and say God/daddy help me, save me from this. I’m sure that even though he knows its best, the thought of my pain and disappointment has to break his heart.

I can’t imagine all the things God has saved me from in my life. I know that at times my heart was broken at the events that were taking place, and in prayer I asked God to save me or deliver me from them. I know at times he did exactly what I asked him for, and at others he held me and trusted me to know that he would, and has taken all my pain away, except for the pain that would lead me closer to him.


By the way, she cried so hard during and for just a few minutes after the shot. My wife and I took turns holding her and calming her down. I carried her to the car, put her in her car seat, kissed her and my wife and said see you this evening. And started for my truck…
As my wife was driving away she stopped, lowered her window and said with a big smile, she (our daughter) just said “mommy it was really nice of daddy to come and help me get my shot wasn’t it? " What a moment, for once I had a small glimpse of how God must feel when our hearts express gratitude to him, even when going through a painful time.

Nothing will come my way that hasn’t passed through his hand first. His hand and heart can be trusted totally.