This past weekend, I had an experience that may seem small and insignificant to some, but it meant a lot to me. One of my children had the stomach flu. It is my least favorite thing as a parent. And, to put it simply, I have quite a bit of anxiety over it. I do not handle that type of sickness well at all, and it is very difficult for me every single time.
Well, my child seemed to be getting better, and as usual, I felt myself relax and realize that all would be OK. A few days later, he got sick again. I felt frustrated after having already spent a lot of time sanitizing the house, and cleaning up to ensure that the rest of us wouldn’t get sick, and I felt tired and exhausted because of my anxiety. When he got sick again, I was close to a full-fledged panic attack.
While some may chuckle at my difficulty handling these situations, it is a real fear to me. I have in recent years really struggled with how to cope when one of my children is sick like this. I become panicky, anxious, unable to sleep, and on edge. While all of these feelings were swarming around me for the second time in one week, I decided to watch a conference talk with my husband. He was trying to console me and comfort me, but nothing seemed to be working.
I watched President Monson’s talk from the Sunday morning session of conference. As I listened, I felt comforted. He said, “Again, my brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives.” In that moment, it was exactly what I needed to hear.
I had just said a prayer a few moments before to calm my soul and help me be able to overcome the anxiousness I was feeling. In some ways, I felt like my prayer was silly because I know that my feelings of anxiety from the stomach bug are overreacting. However, after hearing President Monson say that the Lord is in the details of our lives, I knew that the Lord had listened. And, I felt peace.
It is amazing to be able to receive answers to our prayers every day. I am so grateful to know that I have a Father in heaven that loves me, knows me, and understands me. And, nothing is too small for me to ask for.