My Strength and My Song

When my four-year-old woke up with a high temperature and fever, I didn’t think I had the physical or emotional energy to deal with yet another illness. I am distressed when my children are ill because I don’t want them to suffer and also because I realise that I am not in control. I can’t take away their sickness or discomfort. I also need to accept that my plans must change. I will more than likely miss work to care for them, which makes stretching the next meagre pay cheque to meet our expenses more difficult.

At times like these, I can choose to focus my energy on lamenting the situation and wishing it were different, which makes me feel defeated and overwhelmed. But when I remember that ‘the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song’, I feel lighter and more hopeful. I am still facing the same challenges; but when I turn to God, my spirit is lifted. I can more easily see the ways he is at work in the situation: the text message I get from a friend checking on us, a colleague who is able to cover my shift, extra moments spent with my children. Although the situation is not what I would have chosen, when I look for God’s presence, I find strength and joy.