Well wouldn’t you know that the within 12 hours of writing about how I am going to make this huge and deliberate effort to take each day without complaining and God has given me a situation to put me to the test!

Yesterday morning I made the discovery that my 8 year old daughter has lice!  I did not handle this perfectly; I admit that I could have done better about not complaining and staying more positive with this challenging circumstance we were facing.  She has this long thick, thick , beautiful brown hair, she had lice once before December of 2011 and it was traumatizing for both her and myself to try and get rid of all the tiny little nits that lice leave behind.  Hours upon hours upon hours of combing each hair…she has SO MUCH hair!

She didn’t complain….not once, she did not whine.  She sat quietly all day.  She didn’t cry or scream and kick or fight or anything negtaive about the fact that she has lice.  The first day of her summer vacation and this is how she starts it.  My sweet daughter, Emily, does not realize it but she taught me a valuable lesson yesterday by not letting this upsetting situation get to her or dictate how she took on the day.  Maybe it was because she knew and had absolute trust that I would take of this problem for her, she knew without a shadow of doubt that the lice weren’t forever that I would make sure that she was treated for this. She knows that I would never let her suffer intentionally and that I would always do anything I could to help her.  She didn’t cast blame on her peers and friends at school that may have given it to her, she was still smiling and laughing and I am so thankful for her, she is such a blessing in my life.

Let me tell you, if I were in her shoes, I would have not been so graceful, I would have cried, and complained and blamed and been so upset that I had something so awful happen to me.  Wow!!!  In a small way I guess this is how I act everyday; by complaining and worrying and doubting in different situations that I face each day.  I really need to stay focused on God, let Him take all of my worries and doubts, no complaining just keeping a joyful heart and a smile knowing that He loves me enough to send His son to die for my sins.  Despite my sin and flaws, at the end of each day God loves me, all of me as I am and He will always take care of me, He has a plan for me and my life.  So why do I worry, doubt and complain?  I am working on this, a work in progress and each day I grow in some way. My prayer is that I continue to to grow and that I can face each trial and challenge I must face with an absolute and undoubting trust in God and His unfailing love. 

She handled it with with joy and grace in her heart, this is how I should and want handle all of my trials and challenges, big and small.

So thank you my dear sweet daughter for this wonderful lesson you have shown me.  Thank you Lord for this wonderful day and for the honor of being a mother!

1Peter5:7    “Give all your worries to Him, because He cares about you”