Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!
Today Father, my prayers are focused on my son Jonathan and my wife Shannon as they spend time at the A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children. The appointment today wasn’t expected to be a big deal; simply an MRI with and without contrast to check and make sure that Jonathan’s LCH was still behaving itself. As the scans were going to take a while and required Jonathan be perfectly still, the plan was to sedate him so that he could sleep through the process. This seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea and after he’d been given some Versed to relax him a bit beforehand they got him ready for the procedure…
And then he saw the IV needle. He was no longer relaxed.
Jonathan has a very serious fear of needles Father, and from what Shannon described he changed instantly from my gentle, loveable little boy into a raving, angry, terrified child. In the end, they had to give him general anesthesia (gas) to get him under for the scans, requiring a longer stay at the hospital and leaving Shannon emotionally exhausted in the process.
Following the phone conversation with Shannon bringing me up to speed on the day’s events, I started thinking about the fear Jonathan must have been feeling at that moment. His dread of needles has deep-seated roots, far beyond what he remembers. As an infant, Jonathan’s disease and subsequent treatments required he be all too familiar with the prick of a needle. And even though he’s not had to endure a large number of sticks since that time, there’s an underlying anxiety that grips him whenever he requires one.
So, how to address this fear with him Lord? Well, if we examine Your Word there’s quite a bit of wisdom to draw on. As I know Jonathan reads this Father, I’d like to use the rest of our time today to pass some of those thoughts along to him here if I may…
Dearest Jonathan,
“For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
Whatever pain, fear or trials we face in this life, we need not be afraid because God never leaves our side. He’s stayed close to you all of your life, and seen you through amazing hardships. When fear grips your heart and threatens to take control, I want you to close your eyes and feel God’s Hand firmly grasping yours.
“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.” – Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
The Lord desires that we show our character and faith in him through acts of trust. Courage isn’t the absence of fear Jonathan, it’s having fear and yet doing what you know is right with the knowledge that God will give you the strength to get you through when you lay those burdens at His feet.
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
We weren’t created to rely completely on our own strength Jonathan. We get tired, and stressed, and scared. Thankfully, we have our Heavenly Father to hold us up and provide us that “Holy Nudge” to get us through when we call on Him. I see so much of God’s Light in you, and when you seek His help I know that you’ll find it in abundance.
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
I love you kiddo.
Amen.
~Dad (Phather Phil)
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
Phil, what a beautiful prayer for your son. Jonathan not only has a Heavenly Father who loves him…but I can tell from your words just how much his earthly father loves him too.:)
🙂 Thank you so much Eileen. Is it that obvious?
Have a Blessed Day!
Bless his sweet, tender heart. Bless yours as well. I’m sure, as his parents, you both would rather take the needle for him than to see him wrestle with his fears. The growth that is happening now, both in his heart and in yours, is good growth. Nonetheless, very painful.
Prayers and peace~elaine
It always hurts more to see him struggle and suffer that it does to take it upon myself Elaine, but you’re right in that these moments become learning experiences going forward.
Have a Blessed Day!
What a beautiful prayer, Phil. Jonathan can rest knowing that His Heavenly Father is always with him, holding Him.
Thank you Lisa. He knows it, but like all of us can he let his anxieties get the best of him this time. I think it gave him a lot to think and pray on though, so in the end it may end up being a lesson that he needed at the time.
Have a Blessed Day!
Jonathan,
Judges 6:12 says, “The Lord is with you mighty warrior.” Gideon was afraid and confused about how he could save Israel with the weakest people, but God assured him in verse 16, “I will be with you.” God will give you strength and courage. You are a mighty warrior through Him!
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”
I’m praying for you and your family, Jonathan!
Tresa
Great examples Tresa, and thank you so much for the prayers!
Have a Blessed Day!
Thank you so much! God is always there with me. I may not always feel Him, but He will be there no matter what, He’s always there.
Thank you for sharing such an intimate part of yourself and your family. I bet Jonathan was scared, but at least we know that our heavenly father was there as the comforter. Comforting what ails. Comforting and supressing fear because we know there is no room for it in His will. I pray God will be glorified in tins situation. Praying for your family.
Thank you Kelli! I believe he’s learned from this, and hopefully can apply it to the next time.
Have a Blessed Day!
Even though i was scared, God was there for me. I may not have felt Him, but he was there. The night before, i prayed that everything would go smoothly. It may not have turned out as planned, but God cared, and that’s what matters. Right?
What a beautiful prayer…simply beautiful. My prayers are also with your sweet family and especially your son.
And Jonathan may you feel God’s tender touch and warm embrace through your parent’s love each and everyday.
Thank you Alida! 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
Phil, what a beautiful prayer and letter to Jonathan. Fear can have a strong hold on us but we can have peace knowing God is always there.
Amen Jenifer! Thank you so much!
Have a Blessed Day!
Fear really had caught me. Always does at that first sight of the needle… But that didn’t stop me from holding on. I held on knowing that God was there for me and always will be.
Prayer is what calms us down and to have a father to pray over his son is truly a blessing from God. He will always remember those times.
Prayer is certainly a powerful thing, isn’t it Desiray? Thank you so much!
Have a Blessed Day!
Phil, I just read your post. My heart goes out to Johathan. I have a fear that I thought had gone away but when I went to have an MRI I found it to be worse than before. Your post has helped me some and I want to say, thanks even though you didn’t know anything about it. Your prayer was awesome. Thanks again and blessings to you and your family, Phil.
Thank you Deane! If you’re referring to closed in spaces, that’s actually one of my deep-seated fears as well. I’ve been able to get through MRIs and such in the recent past, but it certainly does still affect me. I’m so glad that my post helped a little, and will pray for you to feel the Lord’s comfort and strength the next time you face it.
Have a Blessed Day!