caroline holzberger

A Bad Case of the Momcan’s

I hate it when my kids get sick.

I mean it, I feel so awful for myself them. They are still so little and utterly helpless, so they need a whole lotta help from Mama.

Allergies are not fun, especially when we have to start the breathing treatment process. Often that is even more brutal when it turns into a sinus infection or upper respiratory infection. The whole “not breathing well” thing has given us quite a scare over the years.

Of course, then there’s the whole unexplained fever thing. That is often scary and confusing. My kids, especially Benjamin, can have very few other symptoms, except a fever. Normal kids get about a 101 fever when they are sick. But, not sweet Ben-Ben. Nope. He is an overachiever like his Mama. Like I always say, anything worth doin’ is worth overdoin’. So, he can’t so much as get a minor cold and his fever goes up to 103. Scary. And pitiful because he is my most loving kiddo. They are all loving, but Benjamin was just given a second helping of sweetness by God. He will be lying there sick as a dog and he will apologize to me. “Mama, I’m sorry I frew up.” “Mama, I’m gonna get better real soon, ok?!” Sweet baby boy.

Of course, that reminds me of the worst of all of these –  the directly sent from satan stomach bug. I mean it – this thing can wipe out a family quicker than a Texas tornado. We have battled this a time or two but we have survived.

Lately, though, my darling kiddos have been suffering from something far worse than anything I’ve mentioned already. They’ve been plagued with a bad case of the Momcan’s. It begins in a subtle way. Often with the MomcanI’s. Just a few things here and a few things there.

“MomcanI have another donut?”

“MomcanI get that toy?”

“MomcanI have my own room?”

“MomcanI watch my show instead of his?”

But, it is highly contagious. Highly. So, it spreads like wildfire in record time.

“MomcanI play outside?”

“MomcanI got with him?

“MooomcanI go too pleeease?”

“MomcanI just be alone?”

“MomcanI be alone with him?”

And so on and so forth.

Multiply that by three children. Each with their own awful case of the MomcanI’s. That’s often caused me to run and hide in my closet too much for me.

But, then, sometimes it morphs into something far worse. A somewhat simple case of the MomcanI’s turns into the dreaded MomcanU’s. Trust me, friend, that is brutal!

“MomcanU get me another drink?”

“MomcanU find my best baby?”

“MomcanU fix this toy?”

“MomcanU get our art supplies down again?’

“MomcanU fix lunch?”

“MomcanU fix me something else for lunch?”

(I am now writing to you from the dark corner of my closet.)

Studies have shown that when a family gets a bad case of the MomcanU’s, then the Mom often gets a bad case of the “I’mouutahere’s”. The two have been linked to each other in almost every outbreak.

Mine is no different. It isn’t that I don’t love doing things for my kids, because I really do. In fact, I have greatly missed the ability to be upright and able to do stuff for them. But, like the saying goes, ‘when it rains, it pours’.

And lately it has been pouring in the Holzberger house. And darned if I can’t find my galoshes.

As I wept in bed went to sleep the other night, I found myself stuck in this thought process…

Aren’t my kids getting old enough to do more for themselves?

Shouldn’t they have learned some of this stuff by now?

And why is it that they have to come to me for things they should be able to handle on their own?

Why do I feel like the only time they ever come to me is when they are asking me for something or needing me to do something for them?

To which God replied via 2×4  –

Hmmm, I guess they get that from you.

Ouch.

He is always right. Like, always.

I generally like to blame any illnesses that spread through our family, on my youngest child. One, because she often does start it. Two, because she is still young enough to not realize we are blaming her. But, shoot! It looks like I am the stinkin’ one who picked this one up and spread it. Dangit.

It seems that a good portion of my prayers lately have been based on my awful case of both the GodcanI’s and the GodcanU’s. Great, I started them both.

GodcanI please just get well.

GodcanU just heal me already?

GodcanU bless us with some more income so we don’t drown in this?

GodcanI please have a husband that adores me every minute of every day?

GodcanU please fix those people around me so my life can be happy again?

Wowzers. I got it bad.

Don’t get me wrong, God loves to hear from me. He desires to hear from me. But, like me and my kiddos, I would imagine He would occasionally like to hear more than just what I want to do and what I want Him to do for me. And I know He must be wondering why I am still coming to Him for the same old stuff that I should have learned by now!

It’s not like I don’t know this stuff.

Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

Hmm, I can’t remember the last time I did that.

Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

Well then. If this isn’t a call for humble prayer, I don’t know what is.

Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

Me – babble? Always. Never.

And then there’s the first half of my life verse – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition (specific requests), with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil 4:6)

So, clearly we are supposed to take our cares and concerns to God. But, we are to do it with thanksgiving. That part seems to sometimes slip my mind.

1 Timothy 2:22 “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

A pure heart? Often. Ok, sometimes. Ok, rarely.

Psalm 15:29 “The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

Righteous is not perfect. It is just. It is pure. It is right. My prayers have not always been that, friend. Have yours?

And, of course, there’s always the Lord’s Prayer that we could look at for some advice.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:9-11 “”This, then, is how you should pray: (Does it get more direct than that?) “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Is it just me, or did that prayer not begin with ‘God, please do the following for me…’ Nope. It started with praise! And then quickly shifted into the desire for His will above your own. Immediately  followed by a plea for bread. Not money or health or wisdom, but the one thing we must have to survive. A basic need was asked for and that is it. Then we are told to forgive and ask for forgiveness. And to also be aware of temptation. Wow. I have so much to learn.

Matthew 13:48 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Ya, I’d say so. I guess if I prayed this way more, I wouldn’t be writing this particular post, would I?

So, in an effort to submit my will to His and take the advice of my good buddy James, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) I will end this post and spend some time in prayer. Not the GodcanI’s or the GodcanU’s. Simply to praise Him. To spend some time with Him. To confess to Him. To honor Him. To thank Him for allowing me to talk about Him to others. To thank Him that there are ever any ‘others’ that even desire to listen.

Maybe you want to do the same, friend?

I think I will start with these two below. Love love.

Ephesians 6:19 “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,”

Ephesians 3:16-19 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”