Worry comes at us in various seasons and circumstances of life, it seems. For me, worry upgraded to a whole new level after I had our first baby. Being a nanny for a handful of years, and just observing all the moms in my life gave me a pretty good understanding that mom-worry is a breed of its own. And now I know what they meant!

When the baby’s congested, does he have RSV?

When he’s silent and calm in his bassinet at night, Is he breathing?

He’s been in his car seat for so long today, is he ok? 

Is he eating enough? Will he sleep ok tonight after that long nap? Is he fussy right now at his babysitter’s? Why is he crying? How can I fix this?

Our baby, Joseph, got very congested when he was only four weeks old. His congestion was so bad that he couldn’t sleep. His breathing was fast, and I was positive he had retracted breathing (which, if true, wouldn’t allow him to get enough oxygen). One night, while I held him upright at 2:30am so he could get some sleep, I called the on-call nurse at his pediatrician’s office.

“Yes, I can hear his congestion over the phone. His rapid breathing is concerning, too. Since he is so young, you need to take him in to the ER.”

Believe it or not, that’s when my worry stopped. Up until then, I had only questions and unknowns. I wasn’t sure if he had RSV or if we were doing enough to help him. But now, Joseph was going to get effective help, and we were going to get answers. I was relieved.

Praise God Joseph tested negative for RSV, which would have been very dangerous for him at such a young, vulnerable age. They suctioned his nose very well and sent us back home with instructions to keep doing the same until it all passed. He was alright.

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
Matthew 6:28-30

Usually, when we think of God’s provision, we think of the “big” things like financial income. And how true it is, that God does financially provide for us! Our Heavenly Father knows what we need (Matt 6:32), and He will provide it.

But now I’m learning to see God’s care and provision in the unlikely moments, like an emergency room visit with our newborn. I was anxious before that, and I shouldn’t have been. But even a necessary visit to the hospital was God taking care of me and my momma’s heart. In allowing Joseph’s condition to be ER-worthy, He allowed me to get answers and peace of mind. And all the while, He was taking care of Joseph, too.

Another unlikely moment to realize God’s care? Four o’clock in the morning with a crying baby who was crying an hour before that, and an hour before that. But it’s a good thing we get cues (a.k.a. cries) from him so we know how to provide what he needs. Even in Joseph’s cries, God is taking care of him and of us, his parents.

The moral of the story is this: God takes great care to clothe the lilies with splendor more glorious than a king’s garb. So recognize and trust His provision for you, because He values you much more than the flowers. Learn along with me to recognize that in the most unlikely moments, in which worry seems logical and God seems far, our Heavenly Father truly is taking care of us.