A few weeks ago, we were just about to kick back for a relaxed Sunday evening of cooking out and watching the Astros play the Red Sox. While McLeod grilled burgers, I stepped inside to heat up some sides, but when I looked up from where I was stirring at the stove, I found my son at my side, grimacing in pain.
“Mom, I think I need to go to the hospital again.” Just like that, I turned off the stove, and within ten minutes we were on the way Texas Children’s.
He’d had surgery earlier this year and was having similar pain, so while I thought he was probably ok, I wasn’t about to wait around this time and let it get worse. I told McLeod he might as well finish cooking the burgers and start helping our other kid prepare for the week ahead. Then, I was out the door.
Believe me, my husband was on standby to join us at any moment if needed–he’d already gotten on the phone to call ahead to our doctor while we were en route, but I wasn’t sure what we’d need yet. I was in full-on Super Mom mode devising plans, issuing orders, filling out forms at the hospital, and answering the intake questions with precise medical history as only a veteran mama can. At some point, though, I noticed I’d started to shake a little bit from adrenaline. That’s when you know that though you’re doing your best to pretend you’re fine, you’re really worried and scared.While we were waiting to see the doctor, a text came in from a friend at church—one of those not-so-coincidental coincidences that I feel certain God set in motion. My friend and I are developing a seminar right now about parenting teens, and I owed her some information. I told her I’d get right on it, and then admitted, rather shyly, that I was texting her from the ER with my own teen.
See, I’m one of those gals that doesn’t want folks to worry, doesn’t want to create unnecessary drama, and tends to think I should handle problems in typical super hero fashion as if it’s a black mark against me to call for backup. I’d probably have let folks know at some point what was going on, but I think God knew I needed another mom to cross my path right then. Her text back was a reminder of how good it is to tap into our community when we’re in the middle of something tough:
“Oh goodness! Praying for him! Do you need anything? Take care of your boy and don’t worry about the info.”
Her words helped me calm down just knowing somebody else knew and cared. I also knew that if we needed more help, we’d have it. Thankfully, after a few hours of evaluation and tests, the doctor determined there was no immediate danger. My son needed a second minor surgery later in the week, but everything was going to be ok. Over the next few days, my friend made sure a few others knew what was up, and they were able to pray and encourage us.
You know the other benefit of leaning on friends in a tough time? You get to share the victories with them, too. I loved getting to tell my friend later in the week that surgery went well. I also loved getting back together with her to work on our parent seminar with an important, just-in-time reminder that having solid community around us makes us better parents. You can be sure that’ll show up in our workshop!
So as we close out our September “super” series, I want to challenge all of you other wonder women out there to think about your team:
Who has your back when things are tough?
Are you always the one that saves the day or have you learned the art of graciously receiving help, too?
Do you have people in your life who point you to God like my friend did? When she got others to pray for me, she reminded me to pray, too.
Finally, is there someone that needs to hear, “Thank You!” for how they’ve shown up to help and encourage you recently? Your words might be just what THEY need to hear today.
For more on what it takes to be the wonder women God meant for us to be, check out these recent posts:
Top Gear Every Woman Needs for a Tough World
5 Ways to Fire Up Your Prayer Life
Photo cred: Zhen Hu on Unsplash
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