Fears of Every Kind!

It happened again. Nic has a track record of suddenly declaring he doesn’t want to go for classes anymore even though I can see him enjoying himself. Over time, we realize that it is normally over small issues and if you can assure him he won’t have to face it (e.g. he wouldn’t have to eat the food served to him), he is more likely to go again. But really, it took us a long time to even realise this! Last Saturday, he complained that he did not want to go for Boys Brigade. I think our first instinct would be to say “Why are you always like this” or “What’s wrong with you” but now I am more aware of the evil that lurks around us and the thoughts that are injected into him because it does come up very suddenly and normally gets defeated over small matters. But that’s how the devil wants us to build our fears upon. It starts with something small and we think more about it and we add on sugar and spice and before we know it, we do not want to venture out or step out in faith.

So, I try to show him how the devil attacks using 2 Timothy 1:7 that fear is not from God while we try to figure out what it is he dislikes about boys brigade. He says it is the junk food they serve (neh, that's just an excuse)! We think he was overwhelmed by the thought of going to the Bird Park and now for the coming camp. So as much as we would like him to go I think he must be eased into it slowly like maybe camp by ourselves (Oh, help me!). It’s a good thing I took both Nic and Ethan to experience the bird park so that at least he now knows what to expect there but he missed out on the amazing race which BB organized two weeks ago. I wonder how other parents teach their children to compete or to enjoy camps independently? Our family has a guessing game of how many fountains are switched on at Taman Jaya every Sunday. That itself is a painful game to play (we've been playing it several months already!) because they get really upset when they lose. So, we have to guide them that if anyone loses they can try again another week because it is only a game. And, if anyone wins, they must not goad and say “Yay Yay I am the winner” in a sing song manner but say “Yay I’ve won! Everyone try again!”. I am not sure whether BB has thought to that extent of how well the children take competition but I think it stressed Nic a lot just thinking about the “amazing race” at the bird park (which he did not go eventually) and now the camp ahead.

I thank Karen Kerr for sharing scripture with me last Sunday. She referred me to Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. It inspired me to share the whole Psalm 139 in the dark during bed time with the only “torch light” coming from Henry’s handphone that Sunday. It got the kids interested while I explained to them how much God knows us and loves us. Coincidentally, that Sunday afternoon, Ethan closed the toilet door while I washed his bum but there was no one else watching! I said, “Who is going to see? Papa and Nic’s not around. Do you think that Father God will see you? Well, He can see you even while you are pooing”. Psalm 139 is something like that. God sees us when we sit or when we rise, he knows our thoughts. He even knows what is on our tongue before we say it. He knows if we are sad or happy.

Then I jumped to Philippians 4:6-8 to teach Nic not to worry but to put our requests to God in a prayer and all the peace of God will come upon Nic. Then I ended with Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” We asked Nic what was the one thing he enjoyed in school /BB etc and to think about those thoughts (whatever is lovely). He nodded his head. I pray it helped him. It will take many reminders of God’s word into his spirit and I pray God will give us the patience and the scriptures for him.