Philippians 2:4
King James Version (KJV)
4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Look around your house. Is there something you have in your house that others do not? Is there something you have to do to your house that others don't? Do others understand those differences? Let's be more specific..
Do you have a nebulizer in your house? Do you have oxygen masks? Do you have special railings? Or are there foods that are not allowed in your house?
We have a friend with an asthmatic child that keeps a nebulizer in her living room. I have another friend with railings to help him get around because he struggles with balance issues. My home has food restrictions because of Owen's allergies.
But not every house has differences and those who live in them don't always understand restrictions and the need to keep medical equipment close by. The Bible tells us not to look at our own houses but those of others to help educate. I can look at my house all I want; I know every nook and cranny and every need within my house, but I don't know what someone else might need until I open my eyes and see what is in their home.
And I shouldn't expect others to just understand my restrictions without instructions prior to! I am learning this more and more as we deal with Owen's food allergies. There are people out there that just don't understand, and while I struggle with why they don't understand, I was forgetting to look at their house. I find that when I call on the Lord for understanding, He always leads me to the best place. Today, He led me to Phillipians, and He is so right!
I need to stop looking at myself (or in this situation Owen) and look at others. The idea of a small child having something permanent that could end their live is so very hard to fathom! Knowing it myself, doesn't make it easier to understand. But looking at others, I can see where it would be so hard to not really "get it." They don't live in my shoes and see what it could do, but it's not ignorance as much as it is lack of knowledge.
Yesterday, Owen went somewhere new. He didn't know the people but was excited to go. Without a thought, we let him go and made sure to inform them of his food restrictions and what would happen should he be exposed to his allergen: Peanuts. Well, we can't control everything. We couldn't control the fact that the adult in charge couldn't handle the situation, nor could we control that another child ate peanut butter and decided (smelling strongly of peanut butter) to rub his hands all through Owen's hair. Praise the Lord for His hands of safety that enveloped my sweet little boy last night and today, I Praise God for the opportunity to teach someone else. Rather than being angry at the situation (trust me I went through that at one point), I decided to put my best foot forward and make it a teachable moment to share with that location the severity of the food restrictions even when there isn't an actual attack.
My son didn't end up in the hospital, nor did he end up with hives or anything for that matter, but his heart was broken and his spirit was torn. It is important to understand the struggle that comes after something happens. The struggle with helping my child to understand that people do care. It's not that they don't care if he lives or dies. It's just a lack of understanding that he could live or die. I looked into my Owen's little house and saw fear. So today, I educating others on the aftermath of a situation that could lead to an allergic reaction and I encourage you to try to understand what others might be dealing with. Look in their houses and stand a moment in their shoes. It may just change your perspective.
Look around your house. Is there something you have in your house that others do not? Is there something you have to do to your house that others don't? Do others understand those differences? Let's be more specific..
Do you have a nebulizer in your house? Do you have oxygen masks? Do you have special railings? Or are there foods that are not allowed in your house?
We have a friend with an asthmatic child that keeps a nebulizer in her living room. I have another friend with railings to help him get around because he struggles with balance issues. My home has food restrictions because of Owen's allergies.
But not every house has differences and those who live in them don't always understand restrictions and the need to keep medical equipment close by. The Bible tells us not to look at our own houses but those of others to help educate. I can look at my house all I want; I know every nook and cranny and every need within my house, but I don't know what someone else might need until I open my eyes and see what is in their home.
And I shouldn't expect others to just understand my restrictions without instructions prior to! I am learning this more and more as we deal with Owen's food allergies. There are people out there that just don't understand, and while I struggle with why they don't understand, I was forgetting to look at their house. I find that when I call on the Lord for understanding, He always leads me to the best place. Today, He led me to Phillipians, and He is so right!
I need to stop looking at myself (or in this situation Owen) and look at others. The idea of a small child having something permanent that could end their live is so very hard to fathom! Knowing it myself, doesn't make it easier to understand. But looking at others, I can see where it would be so hard to not really "get it." They don't live in my shoes and see what it could do, but it's not ignorance as much as it is lack of knowledge.
Yesterday, Owen went somewhere new. He didn't know the people but was excited to go. Without a thought, we let him go and made sure to inform them of his food restrictions and what would happen should he be exposed to his allergen: Peanuts. Well, we can't control everything. We couldn't control the fact that the adult in charge couldn't handle the situation, nor could we control that another child ate peanut butter and decided (smelling strongly of peanut butter) to rub his hands all through Owen's hair. Praise the Lord for His hands of safety that enveloped my sweet little boy last night and today, I Praise God for the opportunity to teach someone else. Rather than being angry at the situation (trust me I went through that at one point), I decided to put my best foot forward and make it a teachable moment to share with that location the severity of the food restrictions even when there isn't an actual attack.
My son didn't end up in the hospital, nor did he end up with hives or anything for that matter, but his heart was broken and his spirit was torn. It is important to understand the struggle that comes after something happens. The struggle with helping my child to understand that people do care. It's not that they don't care if he lives or dies. It's just a lack of understanding that he could live or die. I looked into my Owen's little house and saw fear. So today, I educating others on the aftermath of a situation that could lead to an allergic reaction and I encourage you to try to understand what others might be dealing with. Look in their houses and stand a moment in their shoes. It may just change your perspective.
Thank you for helping gain perspective through God's Words and others' experiences. May God Cover Owen & Your Family With His Grace! <3
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