I’d like to think that I’ve been a good mother to my five children. I read to them, played with them and prayed with them. I provided various experiences in an effort to give my kids a well-rounded childhood, and I made sure they received all of their immunizations. When they were sick, like every other good
parent, I would bring them to the doctor. The diagnosis was generally an ear or throat infection, and
I always left the office thanking
God that it was nothing more serious. I dutifully went to the pharmacy, filled the prescription and bought the necessary soup and popsicles.
Now here’s where I dropped the ball. I would forget to give them the medicine. The first dose was no problem. I just had difficulty remembering that “every four hours” instruction. Fortunately for me, and my children, I have an absolutely incredible mother. She has the gift, and it is definitely a gift, of saying something without nagging or sounding self-righteous. She would call to check on the children and simply ask, “Are they giving you a problem taking the medicine?” or, “How many more doses do you think they have before they finish the prescription?” Her calls were impeccably timed. I would answer her questions while shaking the bottle of pink stuff that I quickly grabbed out of the refrigerator.
My Mom never forgot to give her four children their medicine. When we were sick, she wrote the names of the medicines we were to take across the top of a sheet of paper and made a column for each drug. She then listed the times that we were to take each one and would cross off the time only after we took the proper dose.
Now I wonder if she quietly did that for her grandchildren, too.
At least mine. My sister, Ann, and my sister-in-law, Monica, never forgot to give medicine to their
children. Kay, my other sister,
never seemed to have sick children. The good news is that I began to make medicine charts for my kids, too. It’s one of the many, many, many things I learned from my mother. The medicine would only help my children if they took it. Like sunscreen, it won’t work in the bottle but is very effective when applied.
Why did I think of that today? Probably because I was thanking God for the wealth of wisdom, instruction and promises found in His Word. There is an answer for everything and a promise for every situation. But they only work when applied.
James 1:22 puts it simply, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you
are only fooling yourselves.” The Word of God works when we follow the instructions and pray the
promises. There are Scriptures that I pray for health, others when I need peace in a situation and still others I pray for my children. Fortunately, I don’t need a chart, nor do I have to depend on my Mom, to remind me to pray.
Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com