The Greater Benefit of No Rescue

My daughter has a fear of bees that prevented her from going outside a lot this summer.  I tried to help her with it by having her pray, "face her fear" but to no avail.  She now loves going outside because the bees are supposed to be gone and dead.  Imagine our surprise when a hornet was on our door today.  She was outside coming in and I heard screams and then hollering for me.  As I went to see what was wrong, she had this horrified look on her face and was looking at the top of the door and said "BEEEEEEEE!!!"  I opened the door a bit and saw the bee was right on top and I tried to knock it down but without luck, without the possibility of it coming in the house.  I was going to "rescue" her and have her go around to the other door in back but the thought occurred to me that this was a great opportunity for her to face this fear on her own.

I told her to kill the bee.  She looked at me like I had lost my mind.  She looked at me with those scared eyes that were seemingly saying, "Mommy, surely won't make me do this."  I will admit, it was HARD for me to do this but I knew that the outcome would benefit her more than me coming to save the day.  She stood out there shaking with fear and refusing to do it but she realized I wasn't coming and I wasn't budging - she was going to do this!

I had her get the broom to knock the bee down in front of her and then told her to quickly stomp it.  Well, she knocked it down and it landed in front of her and she screamed and jumped back.  I kept telling her to step on it but she wouldn't and begged me to come out and do it.  Finally.......she stomped it, all the while screaming and shaking and I told her to do it again....and again.  She then ran inside, crying and continuing to be in a state of fear.  I told her to stop and realize what she had just done!  She faced her fear and killed the bee all by herself.  She kept crying lol.......I told her to stop and that she should be jumping up and down, and then it hit her - she started jumping up and down saying "Thank you Jesus!!"

She was so full of joy, she had to call daddy and then of course grandma to tell them how she was so brave and killed a bee!  It became a time of rejoicing and it was a hurdle that I felt she needed to cross on her own.

It didn't occur to me until later as I retold the story to my husband, how that it must be hard for God sometimes to let us suffer and cry, all the while calling out to Him to help us or deliver us out of a situation.  However, He sees the greater good that will come from letting us stay in the situation and conquer it without rescue.  When we do finally get the victory, He is rejoicing with us; His children.

Think of that next time you wonder why God makes you stay in a certain battle or situation until you conquer it yourself.  He can see the outcome and greater benefit of those times of 'no rescue' - joy comes in the morning!!