Today I took my granddaughter to the doctor for a flu shot. Instead of lying to her I told her the truth when she figured out where we were going. She started crying knowing this meant getting a shot. This continued when we entered the doctor’s office. It stopped momentarily but was not helped by a crying and out of control little boy that was getting some type of shot. When we were called back the crying started again.
I held her as the crying continued while the nurse hurriedly gave her the shot. Almost immediately the crying stopped. She said, “it wasn’t that bad.” I’d told her it didn’t hurt badly when I got one this past Friday, but that reassurance hadn’t worked.
Often we are the same way as my soon to be five year old granddaughter. I’ve often heard people say they were not going to the doctor for some ache or pain until they couldn’t stand it any longer. We tend to be afraid of what we’re going to find out. It may mean a surgery or some procedure that fills us with fear. How often does this inevitable event start us on the road to feeling better?
It goes beyond just visiting the doctor. We often fear or avoid conversations that might not be easy with family, friends or co-workers. Have you ever avoided those conversations but after finally having it, felt much better? More often than not, something positive comes out of being open and honest.
Why, in our anticipation of events in life, do we often assume the worse? These negative thoughts often make us feel worse. Why can’t we avoid being anxious?
Being anxious is something Jesus discussed because often those following Jesus felt the same way. It was so prevalent around him that Jesus took the time to address anxiousness in Matthew, Ch. 6, verses 25-26. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what