When I learned we were expecting our second child, my heart was glad… but also worried. How would my young daughter adjust to the new addition? How could I nurture her heart toward looking out for her brother, being his friend, and not competing? How could I love them equally, but as individuals, helping them develop their unique personalities and giftings?

One worry I did not think of but should have: how can I keep them safe, not from the world, but from each other?!!

Here’s what happened. Our son was about two weeks old, and my husband was holding him. In a split second, without warning, our daughter toddles up to them and stabs baby brother with a pen about half an inch above the eye.

Not our best parenting moment, you would think! But actually, it was a defining moment in our journey, not just as parents but as followers of Jesus. It was a stark reminder that our competence and vigilance cannot ensure our safety. We long to protect ourselves and our
children from harm, but so often we are powerless.

From this place of admitting weakness, we can strengthen our dependence on our Savior. Not because he promises us safety–far from it! In fact, he promises us suffering if we follow him. He promises us something far greater than safety–his presence.

Isaiah 43 gives us this promise:

“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” Isaiah 43:1-3a

When you pass through the waters. When you walk through the fire. If safety were God’s highest priority for us, He would never call us to the difficult and dangerous places where we serve. He cares more about reaching the lost than keeping us comfortable. He wants me to know His presence in the fire, so I can have the strength and courage to make His presence known to those who are far from Him.

I still pray for the safety of my family, but in that prayer, I am placing it in the hands of my Heavenly Father. Or, more accurately, I am acknowledging that it has always been in His hands, and I will not try to hold onto what is outside my control. Instead, I am trusting in something far more secure–His ever-present help in any trouble I might face (Psalm 46).