Scene in the Barnyard, Take 2

This is a continuation, or maybe an off-shoot of last week's lesson, Take 1. To recap, on a warm, sunny April Saturday, we ended up with an assortment of volunteer firemen, a fire truck, a first responder vehicle, and at least three sheriff's cars in our barnyard.

Apparently, my hubby neglected to crank down the nozzle on an anhydrous ammonia tank while the weather was cool, and when it warmed up, the vapors expanded and leaked out. This cloud of vapor caught the attention of a passing motorist who put in a call to 911. A quick turn of the spigot was all that was required to spot the flow, but when emergency services are dispatched, apparently they can't be called back--at least that is what they told hubby when he called to tell them it wasn't necessary for them to come out.

I told you that God reminded me that there is a battle taking place around us, and our children, every day. We must protect our kids from the things they can't see--both in the physical and the spiritual realms. One of my jobs as their momma is to protect them from the evil that they don't see. You can become pretty jaded when you look around you in this culture, but you also have to remember to be smart. Get used to saying "No".

So, all of this brings me to the second lesson God reminded me of during this interesting afternoon. While we are called to protect our kids from the evil that surrounds them, mommas and daddies also have to prepare our kids to live in the midst of not-so-healthy influences.  I can only shield my kids from so much, but unless I want to join a commune or move to a third world country, it is also my job to teach my kids how to live in this tainted world. You see, I can warn my kids to stay by the house when they semi or combines pull into the drive. I don't allow them to climb on the grain bins. I refuse to let them play outside while the fumes from the chemicals hang in the air. But, I also need to prepare them for the inevitable times of emergency or unexpected situations. God tells us in His word that it is not His desire for us to hide from every potential source of temptation or trial, but to be prepared to deal with it. Jesus says in John 17:15, My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Do you see it? He says, don't remove your kids from any potential evil, but protect them from the damages that could come.

How do we leave our kids in the world but protect them from it at the same time? First of all--PRAY. Pray for their protection. Plead for them to make wise choices. Petition God for them to remember what they've been taught. And that is the second way--TEACH. If I want my kids to make wise choices and make good decisions, I've got to teach them. My kids know not to play on an ammonia wagon, but I've got to take it a step further. I need to teach them what to do if an emergency situation or an unlikely event takes place. Is a tank ever supposed to be leaking all over the barnyard? Nope. Did it happen? Yep. Where they prepared? I hope so.

We do this when we ask our kids questions like, "If you got separated from me in a store/at the fair, what would you do?" Or when we quiz, "What should you do if a stranger (or even someone you know, but you don't feel comfortable) tries to get you in their car?" Or maybe, "If someone calls and I'm not home, what should you tell them?"

We need to make sure we are also asking our kids things like, "If a group of your friends were making fun of another student, what would you do?" Or "If you and your friends were playing Truth or Dare and something went wrong on a dare, what would you do?" Or maybe, "If you are on a date with a guy and he is doing things to you or asking you to do things to him that make you uncomfortable, what would you do."

Another important aspect of teaching our kids to be safe is to teach them how to pray. They need to learn to pray for their own protection, for their own wisdom, and for themselves and the battle that rages around them every day.

Don't wait until you have a smoking anhydrous tank in your barnyard to see if your kids know how to protect themselves. Protect them when you can, and teach them how to be safe when you can't. Just like Matthew 10:16 says, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. THAT'S what I want my kids to be!

Special Delivery

It should come as no surprise that Jewel loves to write stories. You see, her life started as a story of what one tiny baby could teach her mama, even before she was born. It contained all the makings of a good story, too-- conflict, angst, a gripping climax, and a happy ending. Read on to learn what God taught me during my pregnancy with Jewel.

Sweat slicked my forehead and mingled with the wetness squeezing from eyes closed tightly against the glare of the fluorescent lights. Late July sun poured through the large window to my right, adding to the piercing artificial light. The room was stuffy. The metallic scent of blood mixed with antiseptic hospital smells and made my stomach swim. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I struggled as each new wave crashed over me.

“Just a few more pushes and your baby will be here,” coaxed a nurse. I knew the pain was necessary to bring this baby into the world, but I also knew her connection to my body might be the only thing keeping my daughter alive. Upon her entrance into the bright, stuffy room she would either split the air with the lusty wail of a healthy newborn or pierce my heart with the mewling cry of a terminally ill infant. While my body struggled to bring forth life, my heart fought to keep death at bay.

The ordeal was culminating on July 30, 2000, but it had begun months before. In March, we first glimpsed our tiny baby. Arms and legs waved and her profile revealed a sweet, turned-up nose. She kicked and wiggled, oblivious to the cartwheels her acrobatics caused in our hearts. The doctor called a few days later. In reviewing the ultrasound images, he had discovered a problem.

“The images show a cyst in the baby’s brain. It’s in an area that doesn’t necessarily cause a problem, but there is a high incidence of this type of cyst being linked to a fatal disorder,” he explained. We later learned that the disorder was nearly always fatal within the first week after birth, that it affected girls more than boys, that our child had one other trait that seemed to link her to the sickness, and that there was no treatment or cure for it.

One morning, as I prayed my way through the day’s chores, I grew frustrated. God, you and I both know you have a plan in this. You’re going to do what you want to do. There’s no magic prayer that I can say that will take this all away. Why should I bother? No sooner had the thought flown through my mind when a voice thundered in my heart, hitting me so forcefully that my body jolted with the shock: I don’t ask you to pray so THINGS will change; I ask you to pray so YOU will change.

The remainder of my pregnancy passed with the normal struggles of swollen ankles, backaches, and insomnia, followed by thirty-six hours of labor. But I no longer struggled to pray. I knew God was using my prayers to prepare me for the journey ahead.

When I gave birth to our daughter, red and squalling that Sunday morning in July, the doctor placed her on my stomach saying, “It’s a girl. And she’s healthy.” All those months of praying and waiting were over. We could now move into a new life with the tiny girl with the button nose. But the lesson God taught me about prayer has continued to live and grow within me.