I had to call poison control the other day! That was fun! ?
1-800-222-1222? Yea- I know the number. ?
Ha, this made me laugh out loud. You have the number memorized?! ? What happened, Laura???
I let the boys go out in the backyard to play while I cleaned up breakfast a little. Not two minutes later, Micah runs in and says, “Jesse told me to eat this, but I don’t want to! He already ate some though!” These last words sent me into a spin! ?
Oh my goodness. I would have panicked too. What did he eat? Nervous to even ask.
I was more panicked than nervous! I dropped everything, literally. Ran outside and yelled for Jesse to come to me immediately! The intensity of my request must have made an impression because he actually obeyed the first time (something he struggles with and something I’m working to enforce).
We’ll just call immediate obedience the silver lining in this story for the moment. You’re killing me! What did he eat?!?
He tells me he has eaten 3 pieces of this (drumroll)– and he holds out what looks like clover to me. CLOVER?!! He won’t eat the fruits and veggies I put on his plate, but he will eat CLOVER?! ???
Lol go figure. Claire will hardly eat a whole apple slice, but the other day, I handed her a whole apple and she devoured the ENTIRE thing- the core, seeds, EVERYTHING. I had to call poison control, because that’s apparently really bad for you. These kids really keep us on our toes, don’t they? #thankGodforpoisoncontrol
Oh my goodness to both of your stories! This is reminding me of when I fed my younger brother poisonous berries from our backyard from the “soup” I had made…and he had to get his stomach pumped.? Tell me you didn’t have to do that, Laura?
Oh, yikes!! I will have to hear the rest of that story some day, Michelle! Anyway, I called poison control and the stranger-now-best-friend on the line wanted to know what kind of clover it is… are you kidding me? How am I supposed to know that?!
I am impressed you knew that clover was dangerous to eat. I am not sure I would have known that!
I didn’t really know either, but the panic took over, and I called, but now I’m on hold while she looks up all the kinds of clover that might possibly be in our area.
Meanwhile, I have 4 boys running around the backyard, and my mind is running faster than they are! What if I have to take Jesse to the ER? How is that going to work with 3 others in tow? How do I not worry Jesse too much if he just ate something poisonous? What if I have to make this boy throw up?! I do not like puke… at all!
Oh Laura! I am the queen of running through ALL the questions of what may happen or what probably won’t happen in my mind. I think as women we like to plan ahead, but in these moments planning ahead means running through every “worst case scenario.” And running through these just opens our hearts up to fear and worry, which is exactly what God asks us not to do. #itshardthough
Yes, So hard. Total story of my life right there. ? So what did your new bestie say about the clover??
So hard! After a 2 minute hold that felt like 2 hours, the nice poison control lady said he will be just fine because the clover in our area is NOT harmful. I was so relieved and told her I felt even a little silly to have been in such a panic over nothing. But she was glad I called to check. I was thankful when I got off the phone and exhausted and it was only 9:30 a.m. ?
Oh yay! So much better to be safe than sorry. And I totally know what you mean about working yourself up in a frenzy and then needing a nap.
Trusting God in the crazy moments is a challenge. I just want to fix the problem and fast. But I always get to the end of the crisis and I think, “Turns out God had this the whole time!” And even when crisis isn’t averted, He has that too.
What a GREAT reminder! God is in all things, all the time- whether they go as we’d like them to or not. #easiersaidthandone – I had to add another hashtag in. ?
I was so quick to call poison control, but what if I were so quick to call on God in prayer in that moment? What kind of example would that have set to the boys? What kind of peace would He have given me while I listened to elevator music?
It’s so true! When we are in panic mode, it can be so easy to pick up the phone and call a friend/family or another form of help FIRST. But in these moments, how about we train ourselves to remember that we have a direct line to the most efficient helper, healer, crisis manager, peace giver, etc. there is?!? ?
LOVE that and how often I forget it when I jump into action before pausing to ask Him for His help.
Right! It’s so “easy” to just pray first. I’m not saying that I shouldn’t have called poison control– that’s wisdom. But if I had dialed up the Healer first, my worry-filled wait may have been a peaceful waiting for His solution even in this “small” matter.
Now to remind my boys clover is not a vegetable! ?
Soaking in the Truth
Scripture to encourage you:
- “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Psalm 50:15
- “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” 1 Chronicles 16:11
- “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’” Isaiah 41:10
Music to inspire you:
- Just Breathe– Jonny Diaz
Readings to come alongside of you:
- Becoming a Brave Mom: Anxiety Attack from Insight For Girls
- When Dealing with Your Child’s Crises Causes You to Blame Yourself by Angie Tolpin
Living Out the Truth
Ideas to try:
First, let me say, I need these ideas to try as much as the next mom, so here goes:
- Pray first. Even when the chaos is swirling, ask God to help you and give you wisdom in your panicked moment.
- Pick a scripture, maybe one from above, to be your mantra as you deal with the little crises of the day, or the big crises of the day! Repeat it to yourself at the first “scream” or hint of chaos. Maybe that scripture will be just enough to get you through the moment without playing the 1,000 ifs game.
{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}