"Take it like a champ man."
Antwon Lee
Antwon Lee went through what most parents go through, the agonizing discomfort of seeing your newborn baby have to endure painful immunization shots. The difference is Antwon was more vocal and quite comical than other dads in how he chose to comfort his crying son. The result, 17 million views later, Antwon Lee and his son’s experience that was caught on video went viral.
God has said many of the same things this dad said to his hurt child. We applaud Antwon as a great dad (which he is IMHO) but question God’s sovereignty when He does the same thing. Was Antwon powerful enough to prevent the painful experience? Yes. Did he keep his son away from experiencing it? No. The temporary hurt inoculates our precious babies from the attacks of what we know will come otherwise. Why do we allow the temporary hurt? Because we love our children and would not subject them to something we knew could have been prevented. What feels like chastening is really love (Hebrews 12:6).
I have learned so many lessons from God through the illustration of my own relationship with my cubs. It is no wonder this video immediately spoke to me as a metaphor of how we as children of the heavenly Father go through tough experiences and how God through His Holy Spirit will comfort us in the midst of the trial. Check out Hebrews 12,
“9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.”
Below are some of the statements Antwon made to his son before, during, and after the incident. I included some relevant Bible verses, many where God Himself (the Father and the Son) has said something similar.
Antwon: “You gone be alright.”
Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Antwon: “Look at me.”
Hebrews 12:1-2, “1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”
Antwon: “Stay strong.”
Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Antwon: “Just keep looking at me. You ain’t got to look at nobody else.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8,
5 “Thus says the LORD,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 “For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
8 “For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.”
Antwon: “Listen, we gone get these shots. I want you to look at me, and take it.”
John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Antwon: “I know you gone cry, but it’s okay to cry.”
Revelations 21:4, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Antwon: “I got you. Daddy’ll hold on to you. You strong boy!”
Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
(First shot administered) Antwon: “Ah man, I know, I know it man. Daddy know it!”
Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
Antwon: “Gotta look at Daddy.”
Acts 7:55-58a, “55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him."
(After it was over) Antwon: “They did you wrong. Explain it to Dad.”
I Peter 5:7, “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”
Antwon: “Daddy here. I told you Daddy gone be here.”
Deuteronomy 31:6. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Antwon chose to caption his video with, “I felt his pain.” Even commenters said, “That’s the worst part of it I hate to see them cry but they gotta get that shot.” We have said the same thing, yet we do not question if we are an effective parent because we have allowed our children to experience a painful event. We know it is necessary for their growth and safety. We parents sign on the dotted line to allow our children to get these shots because we know they will prevent certain diseases from affecting our children. Likewise, your Heavenly Father “signed on the dotted line” when He predestined and ordained you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. God knew ,as a result of going through, you would be immune to the fiery darts of the enemy moving forward. His mission is to grow us up, maturing to the point where others know us by our love. So take the shot.
Mickey Noella
Oh, and another thing…I found it interesting that the baby's name is Debias King Lee. Isn’t it just like God not to miss any detail? The King of kings showing an aspect of His character through someone with the moniker king, classic God.
