You Know God Loves Her More Than You Love Her, Right?
posted on February 24th, 2010 / by Tirzah Warwick / 12 CommentsThere was a time in my life when I felt invincible and fearless. I really didn’t have anything to worry about. I didn’t feel vulnerable. But that changed the day I learned I was going to be a mother for the first time and suddenly a new battle started in my mind. I became vulnerable with the fear of all the possibilities of horrible things that could happen to my children.
It started with the fear of miscarrying in the first trimester. As the weeks turned into months I found myself wondering at every ache and pain I felt in my pregnant body. I worried if I didn’t feel the baby move enough. I would diagnose myself after googling each symptom or reading “What to expect when expecting”. To my shame, I turned to this first rather than remaining steadfast and unshaken in my faith.
When the baby arrived she was beautiful, healthy and perfect but I found new things to worry about. When she was sleeping, I found myself checking on her numerous times to make sure she was still breathing and that she wasn’t smothered in a blanket. Sometimes she was so still and quiet that I would gently shake her just so I could hear a little murmur from her lips to assure me that she was still breathing.
She grew perfectly but, unfortunately, the list of hazards grew with her. There were things to choke on. Stairs to fall down. Water to drown in. Reckless drivers to crash into us. I would hear a story about a baby choking on a piece of balloon or a child choking on popcorn in the movies and then those things became hazards too. There were child predators and devastating stories on the news. Really, the list of things that could happen was endless!
The strong maternal instinct to protect my children at all costs is natural and God-given. They are my greatest gifts from the Lord and I love my children more than anything else on this earth. The fear of something bad happening to them is, without a doubt, my absolute worst fear and while this fear helps serve me to protect my children I do not want to serve it as I sometimes have. I do not want to be in bondage to this fear that Satan could use as a tool in my life.
One day a friend asked me a simple question that set me on the path to learning how to win each battle with fear in my mind & finding freedom. When my now 8 year old was a toddler and I wasn’t paying attention she wondered out of our church into the parking lot, which is next to a busy street. My heart almost stopped with fear and I panicked when I ran out in to the parking lot and didn’t immediately see her. After I had found her safe and sound, my friend came up to me and said,
“You know that God loves her more than you love her, right?”
Well, of course I knew that! … Didn’t I?
I did know that but the significance of what that really meant hadn’t been real to me before that time.
I wont say that I have fully mastered this battle because often times I feel that old familiar fear trying to sneak in to my mind and heart and the battle starts again. But I will say that while I am diligent to do all I can physically to protect my children, mentally I am now quicker to take those thoughts captive and release them to God rather than letting them have precedence in my mind. Instead, I focus on God’s promises, renewing my mind, which, in turn, brings God’s peace and freedom to my spirit. Completely trusting Him is the solution to all my fear.
Oh man! Been there…still go there at times…God does love them more than we do. And He wants us to trust Him to care for them, protect them when we can not! Thank you so much for this. What a great reminder to let God be God in our children’s lives and rebuke the enemy for stealing our joy.
Well said, Tirzah. I can relate to this–us Moms can easily turn our protective instincts into fear. As my kids are now leaving home for college and I can’t “run out into the parking lot” to save them, I am learning all over again about trusting God to protect them. Keep writing–I enjoy your posts!
wooooooo that was good!!!! So glad God’s love is bigger and stronger then mine. thanks!!! That one line…wow!!! good!!!
Tirzah~ It’s so true that there are always things for us to worry about when it comes to our children (and it doesn’t get any easier as they get older, just different). It’s so true that whenever these fears begin to consume us that we need to take them straight to the Father! He knows best, and yes..He loves them even more! Good stuff! Love ya!
Tirzah,
“Completely trusting Him is the solution to all my fear.” I love this statement and also know that it full of journeys, break-through, stretchings, overcomings, and so much more. It’s a life-time of full … it’s a cleaving our lives to His to take on this incredible job of Motherhood. I love your heart and your one of the most fabulous Moms I know! I know you inspire me … I love you!
Great Love!
~Ris
Tirzah, great blog exposing how the enemy lies to moms. You are an overcomer! It’s hard to believe that the brave girl who grew up with the wild life of Africa has ever been afraid of anything.
love ya!
Oh, you framed the early years (and some not so far away moments) of my Mamma breaths!!! Most times I would hold them in! Lately I’m learning to just BREATHE!! Breathe in LIFE and exhale FREEDOM! Thank you for sharing such tender moments that most of us Mammas at that part of our journey wouldn’t dare share; your heart is so precious, and healing is surrounded by your words. Love you and appreciate you!
Shells
Tirzah- thanks for this…great reminder…and so encouraging.
I thought I was crazy when I would wake all 3 of mine up because they were sleeping too soundly! My husband would say-are you craazy? we just had a moment of peace and quiet!!! I believe the enemy uses this fear to prevent Godly seed from even being created in our generation. It is all about believing that He owns it ALL and we are only stewards for Him. I am praying for you and thankful to know you if even by our respective blogs. love you friend~m
Tirzah – what a beautiful lesson for God to write on your heart. Continue to let Him soak it in and you will enjoy the journey more than ever before.
We once lost our 2 year old daughter at The Parks mall in the food court two weeks before Christmas. She followed another family all the way to the movies and it was 15+ minutes before we found her. It was the most frightened I have ever been in my whole life. That night, I went to bed planning all the things we were going to do different so that we would NEVER have to face that again. God gave me a dream of HIS view of the whole situation. He had a spotlight shining on her and even leading her the whole way to the movies. He told me that of all the directions she could have gone – this was the safest route and the one where a mall employee would notice her the fastest (the family going in didn’t have enough tickets for her). He assured me that He loved her so much more than I and that He was protecting her even when I wasn’t. I still learn from that lesson often (especially every Christmas) and my love for Him grows deeper as I see His hand in caring for my treasures.
Thanks for encouraging us moms!
This really blessed me… I truly have been going thru this battle. Thank you for sharing!
very true. I like the phrase u said , we need to release them to God. I remember the other day that I cant hold on to my kids forever, because they are called by the fullness of GOD, thank u