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“You want Papa to do it?”

Philip has the sweetest temperament. He is kind to all babies. Very sweet and affectionate to his mom and me. And he takes pleasure in making his mom happy.

That’s why it’s really jarring when he loses his temper. Our sweet, even-tempered boy suddenly starts throwing things around in rage. It usually happens when he’s playing with his Duplo sets and he can’t get it to do what he wants to do.

But now he’s learned a trick. He goes up to me and with his big eyes asks, “You want Papa to do it?” I fix the unruly LEGO pieces and he goes back to playing with his LEGOs happily.

A lot of the time, I’m like Philip. I lose my cool while I’m at work, when I’ve got a God nearby who’d gladly help. I don’t (always) throw things around, but I get worried, fearful, impatient, irritable, or unable to sleep when life starts to stress me out. My wife and son can see this the most.

Then I go to God, our Heavenly Father, and say, “God can you help me with this?” And it’s remarkable how quickly He fixes things. It leaves me wondering. Why didn’t I just do that from the start?

We’re all a lot like Philip. If you’re stressed about something now, don’t take it out on yourself, your family, or your work. Go to your Heavenly Father and ask Him, “Can you do this with me?” The results will surprise you: faster work, better outcomes, less stress.

Philippians 4:5–7

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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