Ministered in Motherhood — Navigating Sickness & Fear
A mother’s worst fear — her baby in the hospital
My husband, son, and I recently went to the Dominican Republic for a month on vacation. Within that month, we also planned to go to Colombia for a week but all of our plans changed when our son got sick after being in DR for 10 days.
Our son always greets us every morning with a smile so when he didn’t one Friday morning, we knew something was off (it’s crazy to think that a 4 month old has a personality). That evening, he got a fever. We didn’t know what caused it, we speculated that it was due to teething, but we were so wrong. His fever returned a few hours after giving him Tylenol, so we decided to take him to a local clinic. The next few days were the worst I’ve experienced as a mom so far.
I had to see our son get punctured on his hands and feet 7 times because the nurses couldn’t find a vein due to severe dehydration. Consoling him as he screamed bloody murder and seeing his body swollen, pale, and lifeless was devastating and traumatizing. When we received his test results, we learned that he had a parasite (that I also had and wasn’t aware of) and that he had to be admitted for a few nights. We also had to see our son experience extreme vomiting and diarrhea.
Long story short, we had to cancel our trip to Colombia and stay in a clinic for 4 restless nights. In the midst of all of this happening, the only thing I knew I could do was pray, so I did, and I asked family and close friends to pray with us. The night before we were told we would be discharged, my son’s fever came back and I found myself losing hope and growing in fear. Even though my husband would remind me that God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, I didn’t think I had the strength to push past it and continue praying. All I wanted to do was cry.
As I was reflecting on this experience, I was reminded of the book of Job and what he experienced. I reflected on Chapter 3, which is a reflection of what we can experience when we go through suffering. Job questions God 6 times in this chapter alone and asks why he was even born if it was to go through such tragedy. In the middle of hardship, the darkness can be all I see and I question God, just like Job did. And like Job, I never stopped talking to God. Prayer is the only thing that can help us focus on the light. It’s in moments like these where God tests and builds our faith and character. If you find yourself in a bad situation and losing hope, talk to God. Job complained to Him, cried out to Him, and thanked Him. In the end, Job was blessed and so was I. Here are a few scriptures that might help you overcome fear and cling to hope:
- “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.” Psalms 30:2 (NLT)
- “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
- “When he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” Job 23:10 (NLT)
I pray that this helps you and don’t forget — talk to God. Thanks for reading!
