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A Special guest post by my daughter Lauren Thrasher
The past two years has brought many changes for our family. Things like becoming a foster family and welcoming children into our home and then saying goodbye to them. Things like job changes, starting preschool and now even doing much of that from home in a new way. This kind of change often excites and fuels my husband. But, for me, it makes me fearful and paralyzed. I have found myself all too often recently obsessing over the changes and the fear of the unknown. What will school look like next year, how long will our foster son be a part of our family, and how will we all respond when he’s no longer with us?
My biggest question thus far – how can I fight to guard my mind and renew it with truth? How do I teach my children to be brave and step into what God has called our family to do without being paralyzed by fears and loss and control?
The truth is so simple that I often overlook it. I must saturate myself with the truth of the gospel and fight for the thoughts in my head. For my oldest and I over the past year this has looked like memorizing verses that we can recite when we are fearful. We have made games out of it, had scripture on our board in the kitchen, and speak verses to each other while eating. Sometimes I wonder if she gets it. Is the truth that God is with us regardless of our circumstances truly sinking in?
But, last weekend while trying to learn to ride her bike and having a few fearful moments my four year old looked at me, changed her facial expression and shouted, “I can be strong and courageous for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go,” One of the verses that we have worked to memorize this year is Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Cue the tears for me. Because this little moment was a glimmer of hope for me! She is getting it! God is working in her heart, right alongside of mine. So, fellow Mama’s keep at it. Keep fighting to renew your own mind as we teach our children to do the same. Stop and have the conversations when their little hearts are fearful and fight to point all of us to the One who knows what tomorrow holds.