Chicken Pox and Prayer

"Hey Mom! What are these bumps on my face?" asked my daughter one morning. Let's see," I answered as I was thinking to myself that she is still too young to have zits, I think. Upon further inspection and our doctor's confirmation, the bumps were chicken pox. The good news was that this case would be mild.

One day after my daughter counted exactly 104 spots, I recalled to her when at about the same age, I too, had chicken pox. Or "pocks" as I called them. I actually saved a note from the time and was able to amazingly find it after all this time.

I read:

October 25--Chicken Pocks

Dear God, I love You! You know when you feel the chicken pocks and you feel so down, well that's how I feel. I mean, how would you feel if someone (or everyone) kept teasing you and going wild about them things on your back. Or if someone always cackles at you in a chicken gobble. It's funny at first, but when you have a bad day, it's not.

God, have You tried a thing You couldn't do? Ok, so You didn't but You still understand the way I feel when I tried and tried and still can't get it. And then none people are around to ask.

God, I have to stay inside all the time. Can't go out to play, can't see anybody. I can't hardly get a breath of air outside. Please help me, God! Love, me

On the back of the notebook paper, was a list of rules--

RULES OF THE CHICKEN POCKS--

1. Never scratch your spots. It leaves a scar.

2. Don't go outside. It causes more chicken pocks.

3. Don't go around other people who do not want to get it.

4. Don't rub your pocks, causes more.

5. Take your pills and medicine for pocks.

6. They stay at least 5 to 14 days, that's all.

7. Mom scratches back after pocks.

As I finished reading my old note and we laughed about it, I thought how comforting to me to know that God heard my prayer way back then and hears my prayers now. Chicken pox, tests, Mondays, laundry, children (no matter the age), work, cancer, money, relationships, or whatever we want to talk to God about. He always hears our prayers.

Corrie ten Boom, a lady imprisoned for helping Jewish people in Holland during World War 2, wisely said, "If something is big enough to worry about, it is not too small to pray about." When I don't know how to say something, or I can't seem to find the words to express my feelings, Romans 8:26 reminds me, "the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we do not even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should; but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words."

A wise person said you can't lose your footing on your knees. I would add, even knees with little speckled itchy bumps.... Mama Says!

c. MamaSays! 2025