When you hide His Word, it will always find you

Column Post by Glenda Harbinson

I was headed to bed when I heard my son. Anxiety is common for autistics, and tonight was no exception. I knocked as I opened the door to peek in. Up to his nose covered with his Spiderman blanket, his eyes shone relief. As he grows older he is more hesitant to seek out my help when anxiety overwhelms him.

I quietly asked him what was going on. His effort to fight tears while he talked nearly broke my heart. I silently cried out to God for wisdom to help my child, whose fears are most often imagination-based. I hadn’t stopped praying since the moment I stepped into His room, and God prompted me to share very verse I had been working on in my own life with my son.

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” II Cor. 10:5b

I shared this verse with James and asked him if he knew what a captive was. He gave me an excellent definition. I waited on God again, praying for the ability to express on his level what God wanted to tell him.

God came through, as always, and I reminded James of the dog kennel we used for our greyhound when she first came to live with us. I told him he needed to imagine one of those in his mind. Then when that fear came to bother him he could slam that door shut and BOOM, the fear was his captive and he could give it to God. That fear would have NO more power to cause him anxiety.

We prayed and I hugged him for long minutes before tucking him into bed with his prayer bear. I turned on his lamp and handed him his favorite book. I fell asleep that night to his giggles and thanked God for His power and my precious son’s faith.

The next morning he came bounding out of his room, his face shining. “Guess what, mom! I caught my fear!” His only dilemma was whether to give it to God or beat it up. I told him he really did need to give it to God, but I felt sure God wouldn’t mind if he beat it up first. He laughed and walked away. The next night there was no anxiety. I continue to pray that he can continue to trap those fears and hand them over to God.

God’s Word is powerful in our lives when we LIVE it! That night I learned how powerfully God answers when we reach out to Him. My child learned how to use God’s Word to deal with struggles he can’t control.

I thank God for people in my life who encourage (and even push) me to hide Gods Word in my heart; it is how I knew the verse right then and there to help my son. I invite you to hide His Word in your heart, too.

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Glenda is a homeschooling mom of four in New Brunswick, Canada. She also fosters one teen and provides respite care and tutoring for another. She and her paramedic husband Mark have been married for 24 years. Glenda’s writings often reflect her personal experience parenting and teaching children with developmental and learning differences, as well as a particular empathy for moms with chronic illness. She blogs at http://pwsmommy.homeschooljournal.net/ and can be reached by emailing glenda.harbinson@gmail.com

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