Last Updated on November 21, 2016
My courageous husband was caring for our five children at home while I was several states away on a retreat. An early morning text from him notified me that one of our children had a fever. Unfortunately, this child has some unique medical needs and a minor fever can quickly become a serious problem. And I was hundreds of miles away.
I was tempted to jump into high-panic mode. Call the airline and have my return ticket changed. Camp out in my room and hold my hubby hostage on the phone so I would know every detail and keep control of the situation. Too often, I’m certain that I’m the only one who can care for our children. I have the medication dosages memorized for every child. I know which child likes to be rocked when ill and which one likes to just be beside me and watch a movie. I know not to get them wound up before bed, make sure they brush and floss, and avoid food dyes if I want my toddler to sleep.
I frequently make the mistake of condemning my husband’s nurturing as wrong rather than different. I fail to recognize the importance of his role in the parenting of our kids. I tend to be rigid about our bedtime routine and quickly become frustrated when it’s disrupted. But my kids are making great memories with their dad when bedtime is delayed for a quick game or a silly song. And an ice cream treat late in the evening every once in a while is not going to ruin my kids! He has discovered other ways to build into our kids that would have never occurred to me, like inventing silly lyrics to old songs that have them giggling for days. He values this short time we have with our kids over the mundane daily tasks that I tend to focus on.
When my son was sick and I was away, I spent a few minutes in prayer for wisdom for both my husband and myself and for healing for our baby boy. Then I relinquished the reins. I called my husband and assured him that I trusted him to take care of our son, reminding him where the doctor’s phone number and the medication were located. I returned a few days later to a healthy little boy and a confident husband. He’s a great dad–I just need to give him the opportunity to shine!
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