I know I write about my experiences in parenting, well, far too often. But, it’s where I am. And, I learn just as much from those experiences as my children learn from me. I feel certain of this. I also realize that I tend to write more about John Henry’s seemingly spiritual insights and Anna’s crimes of fashion and occasional use of profanity. It’s not necessarily that one loves God more than the other. Hmmm. Well, maybe just a little. For now. Or perhaps, one just responds to His love more than the other. Look, I don’t have the answers here. I’m just figuring this thing out as I go, or in this case, as I type.
I write all of the above nonsense to say that my children teach something almost daily. And, if it’s not a new life lesson, it’s a reminder of how God has called us to live our life. Yesterday was one of those days.
Upon letting John Henry out of the car, I decided to pretend there was a bug around his feet. You know. To scare him. ‘Cause I’m a good mother who gets a kick out of frightening her children. Go ahead and send that Mother of the Year Award to Oklahoma, please.
So, the story went….
“John Henry! There is a bug crawling around your feet!” I said frantically in a voice worthy of a daytime Emmy.
He skirted a bit. Then, I said, “I scared you, didn’t I?”
“I don’t get scared,” he said. “God is always with me.”
I probably should’ve felt ashamed at this point. After all, I was trying to scare my son and he was basically rebuking me with the name of Jesus. {I blame my own father, because he tried those same antics with me.} But, I just felt proud. Then, I felt comforted. Because, my six-year old reminded me that:
No matter how grim things look….
No matter how desperate we become….
No matter how lonely we feel….
No matter how anxious we are….
No matter how scared we are…
God is with us. Always. When we walk through the waters, He will be there. When we walk through the flame, He will be there. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. He goes with us all the way to the end. He goes with us to those terrifying doctor’s appointments. He goes with us when we drop our child off at her college dorm for the first time. He goes with when we start a new job. He goes with us when we walk down the aisle and say I do. In everything we do, in every place we go, He is with us.
So, wherever you are walking today, know that He is with you. And, you have nothing to fear.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'” Matthew 1:23
DustyTakle.com 
John Henry is one smart and Godly Boy!!!
Because I would have screeched and howled!!
Last night while my 14 year old daughter & I were heading to church, there was a thunderstorm brewing in the distance. The clouds were amazingly “puffy white” while the lightning was flashing through them and while we were toodeling down the dark “backwoods” road she just said out of the blue, “how can someone look at that & not believe that God created it?”. Out of the mouthes of teenagers???????? Amazing huh?
By the way Dusty, I’m the Sabrina (Floyd) that went to New Life Christian Assembly in the big G town with you when you were just a mere tot!!!!! LOVE READING YOUR BLOGS!!!!!
Awww… love that boy! He is so wise to be so young. I can say that he is scared of one thing…Bella’s kisses! I remember him running away from Bella at the wedding when she was trying to chase him down to love on her cousin! Funny.
A great and effective writer speaks from experience….and right now most of your experience will enclude two little tatter tots….and I personally love to hear all about them….
WOW! Priceless. Reminds me of another scripture:
Matthew 18:3 (New International Version)
3And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
He’s a smart guy!
I would have wigged out thinking a big bug on me. Simply because of the time a little field mouse that jumped on my shirt and headed north! I screamed like there was no tomorrow!!
But you are not the only one out there that gets a good kick out of trying to scare your kids. Sometime ask Miranda about the “air horn” we have. JD (my hubby) likes to scare the heebie jeebies out of Patrick with the air horn – just to see him jump completely out of his skin and have what we call a “religous experience.” It is so funny but then again it’s not. What we adults will do for a good laugh – huh?
Hmmm..sounds to me like you’re doing quite a GREAT job of raising your children. God’s hand is on that boy! Keep telling us your stories….they preach!
Lu-huv your little JH and his beeeeautiful eyes! What blessings you have missy. All of your posts bless me but I reeeeally needed this one. God is with me. No matter what. Love you.
thanks for writing about All your stuff!!! especially the ‘little children’ part! love you!
Of course I always love hearing about your kids … but today, especially, I really needed the message that God is always with us … no matter what. You seem to always say what I need to hear when I need to hear it. Love you and miss you!
It also reminds me of Ps. 8:2 out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. It is amazing how their faith is so strong in every area, if only we could be like that 100% of the time how much easier we could face things.
Keep up your blogs I look forward to reading them.
Great blog Dusty, that JH is something else, isn’t he? As well as Ms Anna, soo much in their stories of life they live in their little children bodies, as you call them….little people! love it! Love the simplicity of life as you tell it, good job! ilu!
JH is wise beyond his years. If we could just remember not to ever be scared no matter what we go through because God is ALWAYS with us, just think how much easier our lives as adults would be. Really needed that reminder, Durstee,. Thanks, Love ya!
That JH. Love him.