If you’ve prayed with me at any point during the years since I was diagnosed with cancer you’ve probably heard me ask God to “not let it hurt too bad.”  We’re guaranteed to face trials and painful situations throughout the Bible…

James 1:2-4  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Notice it doesn’t say “IF you face trials of many kinds”.  Because of this guarantee, I try to always ask God to let my faith be tested and my perseverance developed without too much misery.

Seth has warts on his feet.  One of them is very big and painful and in the middle of his arch.  We went to the doctor a couple of months ago only to be told that we should either soak his foot in hot water several times a day for ten days or cover it with duct tape and wait for his body to have a negative reaction to the tape adhesive and attack the wart in the process.  Gee thanks, Doc. Have you ever tried to keep a piece of duct tape on the foot of an eleven year old boy?  Let me save you the trouble.  It just gets really stinky and he rips it off when it stops him from running/climbing/jumping etc..  Have you ever tried to make a stimmer stick their foot in “not-quite-scalding hot water”?  Let me save you the trouble on that one too.  They scream and call you names and tell you that “you’re crazy if you think you’re going to make them do it four more times that day, or any day for that matter”.

Doing what any good mother would do, I went out and bought a freeze-off kit and attempted to remove it the traditional way.  We made our first attempt about a month ago.  It didn’t go so well.  He screamed.  He cried.  He told me I was abusing him and then he closed himself in his room and said that I could not make it better.

Mom of the year goes to…….not me.

A few layers of the wart have peeled away, but it clearly needed another treatment.  Two nights ago, my dear husband decided it was time for the second treatment.  The tears and screaming began immediately upon the site of the freeze-off kit.  This time around I wrapped my arms around my baby boy and with my mouth pressed to his ear prayed, “Father, we thank you for providing us with a way to remove this painful wart from Seth’s foot.  In John 14:14 you said that we could ask anything in your name and it will be done.  So Father, in your name, we claim the healing that you’ve already promised and we ask that you block the pain and not let this healing process hurt. Amen.”

By the time we were done praying, my dear husband was done freezing the wart.  Guess what?  Seth didn’t feel a thing. 🙂  About an hour later he came to my room and said, “Hey, Mom.  I think we should always ask God to block the pain when He’s healing us.”

“You know what, Seth?   I think you’re right.”