On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Keeping Your Family Healthy,” we’re talking with Dr. Scott James, author of the book, God Cares for Me: Helping Children Trust God When They’re Sick.
He’s a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. He’s also a member of Focus on the Family’s Physicians Resource Council, a great team of physicians and medical professionals who volunteer their time to advise us about medical issues that are most relevant to families.
Dr. James recommends a 3-step approach to comforting children through sickness:
- Don’t minimize, sympathize. Acknowledge how your child feels. Sympathize with their pain and discomfort.
- Provide a firm foundation for faith. When kids deal with sickness and pain, remind them that God is in control and cares about them deeply.
- Teach them that there is hope in community. When life gets hard, it’s good to know that we’re not alone. We belong to the family of God, people who love us and want to help us feel better.
Dr. James’ key message for sick children is that God is always with us, even when we’re sick. We can trust God to take care of us.
My conversation with Dr. James is positive and upbeat. He’ll help you understand how to navigate your fears when your children are sick. Listen to our full conversation on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.
Dr. Scott James’ book God Cares for Me: Helping Children Trust God When They’re Sick is available for a gift of any amount. Visit our website or give us a call at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459). If you can’t afford it, we’ll find a way to get it to you.
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