In control.......

You might want to get a snack and a coke for this one....


Whew....times have certainly changed. I remember being in elementary school and coming home after a long day. The only thing that I thought of was playing! I didn't want to do homework or straighten my room (some things never change), I just wanted to go outside and play. Remember how we would throw our books down and run for the nearest door? I would be gone until dark-thirty for sure! My Mom would just KNOW that I was okay and didn't bother me.....the feeling was mutual, cause I knew that if I bothered her I would have to do work! So, off we would go...around the neighborhood-around the crazy neighbor who would always try to talk to you (don't ask-I still have nightmares) and we would just play. Not a care in the world.....

Fast forward a FEW years.....(at least in my mind)


My kids are what you would call inside folk.

They like to play outside, but not like we did. It makes me feel sad for them. They don't have neighborhood kids to play with. They do have each other, and that was more than I had. Being the only child was often not fun.........but I am okay with it....
Really.......(sniff-sniff). I am well adjusted!! LOL!! (Just kidding Momma)

Anyway, back on topic. Follow me here, I promise this will make sense. So, I realized that part of the reason that my kids don't play outside is me!! I am a crazy, paranoid Momma! When they go outside, I worry...
I worry that a snake will come from the lake and sniff them out and bite their little heads off.

I worry that the mosquitoes that are biting them will certainly give them west nile virus.

I worry that someone will come into the yard and snatch them (although they would most certainly beg to return them!).

I worry that someone will fall, break a limb, and I won't hear them.

See?

It is my fear that keeps them from the childhood that they deserve (example: the candy...........if you don't understand-you will have to go back and read previous posts)

What in the world did our parents do? I mean, if we were gone too long, they would come out and look for us, but I do not ever remember hearing "Did you put some bug repellent on? Don't talk to strangers, remember, STRANGER DANGER! "

And I can assure you that I never, not once heard "Watch out for snakes, cause they will bite your head off".

Where in life do you get the fear? Is it when your child is born and God says "Here is your beautiful child that I have allowed you to borrow....oh, yeah and here is your own personal helping of fear!"

I don't think so.........

I think that we have become a world that is riddled with fear. We cannot turn on the news without hearing about how some poor child has been taken-or worse. I cringe at the thought of something happening to my precious babies.

As we speak, my eldest child is at Mission Impact 08'. She is in Orlando....without me....for the first time.

It was hard to let her go, but I knew that I had to. She was more than ready and wanted the opportunity to share her faith with others. I have talked to her several times and she is having a blast! I am glad that I let her go, but I miss her terribly! She called on Sunday to let us know that they went and prayed for the little girl that has been missing for 2 months in Orlando. She said that the press was everywhere. She got really upset and realized that it was a little to close for her. See, her brother is 2, and she said that she couldn't imagine what the family must be feeling. Wow, that was a hard parenting moment. She was not here for me to comfort, so I just reminded her who is in control.

As I remind her, I need to remind myself. God is in control of every situation.

Every.

Situation.

So, I will allow them to play outside with the mutant mosquitoes, man-eating snakes, and the people that could possibly lurk in the bushes. All the while I will remember that I turned out fine....and I played outside everyday.

Blessings,
Kim