Little Tummy Aches, Big Feelings, and One Powerful Moment with God

Michele Renee
Jul 7, 2025
4 min read

First Day of School, New Friendships, and Maybe a Little Anxiety~ August 20, 2015

My daughter has been complaining of a stomach ache for over a week. She hasn’t been sleeping well either.

As a mom, I did my usual drill: “Did you poop?” “What did you eat?” “Are you drinking enough water?” Still, no answers. Just more concern.

To soak up the last few days of summer, we headed to Six Flags as a family.

But even in the wave pool, my usually energetic 8-year-old, Miley (aka Mymy), wasn’t herself. She was quiet. Restless. Her tummy aches always seemed to flare up at bedtime. As we floated together in the water just the two of us we had a heart-to-heart.

She opened up. She had a nightmare the night before.

In it, none of her school friends liked her anymore.

A mean girl (we all know the type)

had turned everyone against her spreading lies, telling the others not to talk to her. And they believed it.

The sadness in her eyes broke my heart. I told her dreams often hold meaning. They’re not real, but they’re messages from the deeper parts of ourselves or maybe even whispers from God. I explained how our unconscious minds hold hidden fears we may not be ready to face out loud.

Maybe her nightmare wasn’t just a dream. Maybe it was her soul’s way of expressing back-to-school anxiety. She told me she is excited to go back. She misses her friends and is ready for routine. But... What if her friends changed over the summer?

What if she doesn’t get the teacher she’s been praying for (shoutout to Ms. Glover )? What if she’s alone?

I reminded her that even grown-ups feel nervous when facing new beginnings. Curiosity, excitement, fear they’re all normal.

That morning during my prayer, I’d asked God to show me the message I needed to share.

Moments later, I stumbled on an article about one of my favorite topics: friendship. It confirmed everything. A study showed that in life’s final moments, when people look back, friendships consistently rank among their greatest sources of joy, fulfillment, and peace.

Why Friends Matter Friends are one of life’s greatest blessings.

They’re the people we choose because they bring us joy, laughter, and peace.

They: Console us during heartbreak Celebrate us in victories

Accept us, flaws and all Call us out when we need growth And love us even when we’re not lovable

Friends are our chosen family. They know the things we sometimes can’t tell our actual family. They share our values. They reflect our hearts. They remind us who we are.

Birds of a feather really do flock together.

Some friends are for a season,

some for a reason, and a rare few… they’re forever. Others? They're sent just to show us what bad friendship looks like

so we can truly appreciate the real ones. Whether you have a massive group of friends or a sacred, trustworthy few… your circle is sacred.

--- What Scripture Says About Friendship:

Proverbs 18:24 – There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – Two are better than one… for if they fall, one will lift the other up.

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Proverbs 27:17 – Iron sharpens iron.

Corinthians 15:33 – Bad company ruins good morals.

I told Mymy that God will send her good friends because she is a good friend.

She’s funny, loyal, giving, and trustworthy. Any kid would be lucky to have her by their side.

I reminded her that haters exist even for sweet little souls like hers.

But mean people only have power over us if we give it to them.

Real friends know your heart. They’ll never believe the lies. As we spoke, she said something beautiful… “I feel God right now.”

She described it like the Holy Spirit had wrapped around her right there, in the wave pool at Six Flags. She said the waves felt cleansing, like Holy Water, washing away her fear and replacing it with peace. I believe her. I felt it too. I told her: God is always near. He’s in our children.

He’s in our friends. He’s in the wind, in the colors of the sky,

in the warmth of the sun, in the flight of a bird,

in the laughter of a child. He’s in our prayers.

And He hears them all.

If you ever need God just ask.

He knows your heart. But He loves hearing your voice. Even when you can't see Him, He's in everything. Final Words for My Daughter and Yours You don’t need to carry your fears alone.