Wasp Attack

My 4 year old daughter was stung by a wasp today.  More accurately, she was attacked by a wasp that flew into her dress and stung her repeatedly on the back, neck, and even on her hand.  These are the moments as a parent when your heart just breaks for your kid. 

She’s fine now.  She didn’t even want to leave school when I gave her the chance.  She was essentially like “Dad, I don’t want to go home with you; I want to stay and play with my friends.  I just got stung by a wasp!  Don’t punish me more by making me hang out with you.”  These are the moments when you don’t feel quite so bad any more.

All kidding aside, this was pretty traumatic for her.  I was glad that I was able to be there as soon as possible after it happened, and that my wife could go visit her at school to bring her some medicine.  I don’t like it when my kids get hurt, but I do like being able to help.

I think God is the same way.  He loves to bring good into our lives, and while life on earth involves hurtful situations God may allow them but He never causes them.  He doesn’t like it when we hurt, but He does know that because of sin hurt is a part of the human experience.  And so even though He doesn’t like it, He does like to be there for us when we hurt.  He wants us to call out to Him.  He longs for us to seek peace in Him.  Often we turn to so many other things to help the hurt, things like other people or drugs and alcohol or even cutting ourselves.  And while those things may dull the pain, they cannot heal our hurt.  God made us with a need for Him, and those times of hurting are the times we need His touch the most.

If you are hurting today, turn to your Father who doesn’t like your pain any more than you do, but He longs to help you heal.