Spring flowers display the color and beauty of God’s creation. They stimulate hope and joy, antidotes to fear. God’s created beauty on the earth reminds us of his care.
Fear has arisen at different points in my life. When I married, I was afraid to have children of my own because mental illness had shattered my family of origin. The path of supporting my brother was hard. When God blessed my husband and I with children, the illness of my children stimulated fears.
The two resources I have in battling fear are my faith in God and the pursuit of information.
I was careful to follow medical advice for my children with pediatric check-ups, prescribed antibiotics and vaccines. When my twins developed digestive problems after the MMR, we had appointments with two pediatric gastroenterologists. We didn’t find answers but kept praying. An alternative medicine doctor helped us by confirming food allergies and intolerances. He prescribed medicine to treat an overgrowth of candida in the gut and gave a homeopathic medicine that calmed our daughter. I kept dietary journals. The twins improved, but the storm still came. Four years later our son was diagnosed with a high risk type of leukemia.
My husband and I pursued every avenue of knowledge and medical treatment. We prayed and Christian friends prayed with us. The Psalms became my solace. I called out to God with tears. I cried in the shower. When Steven died after bone marrow transplant, I needed understanding and comfort.
In the year following Steven’s death I began to see God’s touch on our life—and Steven’s life. God showed us through loving, Christian friends and our son’s deep faith, that he loved Steven and our family. God had been walking with us through the storm.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Fear assaults us from many directions. Currently there is a measles outbreak in Texas. Fear can affect the ability of parents to make good decisions. Prayer, seeking wisdom, learning the facts about an illness are all important. In the years since my children received the MMR (1982) we have learned much.
It is important that the facts about measles, its treatment and the vaccine be available to parents. The MMR vaccine is not foolproof and it has side effects. Vaccinated persons have become infected with the measles. Does the vaccine shed? Can a vaccinated person pass on an infection? Does the timing of a vaccine matter? These are questions that need to be answered. Sharyl Atkinson has posted research that looks at the risk/benefit ratio for vaccines. You can access it here.
Cod liver oil used to be a fairly common supplement. My mother-in-law was given doses at her grade school when she was going through a period of frail health. Cod liver oil is a source of vitamin A & D. When a person has a vitamin A deficiency, he is more likely to become seriously ill.
A doctor in Texas is treating measles cases with cod liver oil and budesonide. You can read about this doctor and the families he has treated here.
The line between fear and faith is thin. Frantic action based on fear may not be productive, perhaps even counter-productive. It is important to recognize when we are gripped by fear. At that point we need to pray for wisdom.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6
Finding the pathway that is well informed, yet leans on guidance from the Lord, demands faith and trust in God. He will guide through the storm.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34: 4
