Doctor, Psych!

Have you ever been to the doctor sure that you are sick with something very serious and the doc just smiles after the examination? That exact thing happened last night. Jocelyn has been on medication for an ear infection for the past week, and she began complaining her ear was hurting again. She pointed to space right behind her hear. If you google ear infection, pain behind the ear, it is not good. I began to panic a bit. We hopped in the car at 745pm and headed to urgent care. After an hour of waiting and most likely contracting about 4 strains of the flu not a part of this year's flu shot, we were escorted into the examining room. My 7-year-old complained a few times in the room about her pain, but she definitely did not seem sick. Our doctor arrived, looking a bit disheveled and exhausted from his day. He asked a few questions and then had a look into her ears, nose, and throat. He pressed around her glands and then behind her ear. She winced a bit.

"What do you think, doc?" I said.
"Well, she's perfectly fine."
"What? But what about all of those awful google articles I found on WebMD?"
"The pain is located on her head more than behind her ear."
"Maybe I bumped it a few times on the monkey bars today..." Jocelyn sheepishly suggested.
"That's probably the case my dear."

Seventy-five dollars later, we were sent off with an Rx for ice and ibuprofen.

Peace of mind is worth a lot more than $75. But I actually gained even more than peace of mind.
The time spent with my daughter, albeit forced upon me, ended up as a bright spot in my day.
The past few weeks have been brutal. Between sickness, tons of time together, and now this week back to school, our household schedule is a wreck. So is my daughter. To the point that I've questioned my qualifications as a parent. Tantrums and tears sending us back to memories of the terrible twos and threes.

What this little doctor visit brought forward revealed that my "big" girl is still in need of quality mommy time. Just the two of us. She needs me to see her, hear her, and understand her. This only happens with time together. I discovered how our relationship was growing apart rather than together. And God needed to break the unhealthy bond between her and me to mend our hearts closer together.

This got me thinking about our relationship with God. How often do we get into unhealthy patterns? Maybe we take time with Him for granted. We may begin to believe God has more important things to do than sit with us. Often we are forced by a "break" or "sickness" to return to Him. To sit with Him in a waiting room and allow Him to examine our hearts. His presence is our medicine. His Spirit the Great Physician. This can be is usually a humbling experience, but Jesus uses broken and sick people to do His work.

Luke 5:31-32 -  31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”…

We emerge from the room with a stronger, more resilient Spirit, ready to resume the life set before us.


Engage your Kiddos - 

Activity:
Play the game Operation if you have access to it. Or, for younger kids, you can try this cute activity to engage them: http://sundayschoolzone.com/activity/jesus-healed-a-royal-officials-son-bible-craft/

Read:
Matthew 21:14
Matthew 14:4
Mark 6:56

Discuss:
How many verses can you find where Jesus healed sick people?
Why is important for us to be spiritually healthy, maybe even more than physically? (This one may need some guidance from a parent or adult)
Where is a place you can go sit and let God examine your heart? How often will you go there?

Reiterate: 
God is our Great Physician. He cares about our broken hearts and wants to mend them to become stronger.