Testimony Tuesday - The Doctor

In my microbiology class I remember learning about immunizations.  The best way I know how to explain it is the vaccine introduces your immune system to a specific germ so your body will freak out and attack it.  We create antibodies to remember how to defeat the sickness which makes us stronger the next time we're exposed to it.  Fascinating, right?!?  

Well, yesterday was Trekker's two-month doctor visit.  The date on the calendar had been haunting me all month because I knew it was time for his baby shots.  I begged Mitch to take off work early for the day so I didn't have to go by myself.

The whole drive to the doctor I was trying to explain to Trekker what was going to happen: how it was going to hurt, but mommy and daddy loved him so much and wanted him to be safe from dangerous sicknesses, how even though there would be pain now, one day he'll look back and be grateful it made him stronger.  I know he couldn't understand me, but I tried telling him anyways.

Oh, when the time came it was just the worst.  He was set on the table and the nurse asked Mitch to pin down his arms.  She leaned against his legs so he couldn't move and proceeded to inject the needles.  I sat in the corner terrified and had to look away.  When I listened to his helpless, high pitched cries, I shut my eyelids tightly to stop the tears from flowing.  I just wanted to take the pain away, take the needle injections for him.  This was the hardest part of being a parent so far.

As he continued to wail and I watched him in his father's arms being swayed and comforted I thought about my Heavenly Father...

How often does He go through this similar experience?  How often do we relate to Trekker's perspective?  All we can feel is this horrible pain happening and we don't understand why our Father in Heaven would allow us to go through it. 

"Doesn't He love me?  Why won't He stop this from happening?  Can't He hear that that I'm crying and pleading for this suffering to stop?"

Little do we know during our hardest trials that this pain is there to help us, to make us stronger.  Heavenly Father is listening to every cry.  He can't take the immunizations for us as badly as any parent would want to.  Our trials in this life are there for our good, and I'm beginning to see from a parent's perspective what that truly means for the first time.

Look at my brave little man!  And his chunk-o thighs with the horrible battle scars.  He gets extra, extra cuddles today.

On a similar note....
Enjoy my TESTIMONY TUESDAY - Episode 12