Our Safe Place

I was up in the night helping take care of our sweet youngest. But she was zonked, and I was still awake. It was in those moments, in the stillness of the night, that I heard our other daughter wimpering. The tiniest of cries, not fully awake, but obviously disturbed by something in her sleep.

I walked out to her bed. She lay tenderly cuddled up in her princess blanket, pulled up past her shoulders. I laid my hand on her, and she slowly opened her eyes to see me.

"What's up, Hun?"

"I had a bad dream," came the soft cry from her sleepy voice.

"What did you dream about?"

"Scary monsters."

"Ah, but you know the monsters aren't real. You're ok." I rubbed her back. The corners of her lips pulled down in a frown.

"Want to come into Mama's room and curl up in our chair for the rest of the night?"

Immediately she popped up and began gathering her things. And by things, I mean her pillow, taggy, blanket, and little toy kitty.

She nested up on our worn but loved rocking chair and fell fast asleep.

I couldn't help but think that this is the way God is with us. When we have scary dreams, be them in our sleep, or real life things of this world that keep us up worrying at night, He is there. He comes along beside our weary eyes, lays His hand upon us, and lovingly allows us to curl up in His lap and share our fears and doubts, like shadows lingering in the night. He doesn't leave us to pull the blankets over our head to protect us from the scary monsters and deal with it on our own. He lets us know He's there.

He pulls us into His presence.

He lets us know we're safe now.

"But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and He answered me from His holy hill.
I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me."
Psalm 3:3-5

We can recall the times that God has cared for us, sheltered us, protected us, and rest knowing God is faithful. That whatever it may be weighing on our tired hearts, that we can even sleep in peace knowing He will sustain us.

This morning I told my daughter to go make her bed. I meant her bottom bunk, where a plethora of stuffed animals and a tangle of blankets was waiting to be straightened up and loved. I left the room and assumed she'd listened and obeyed this task. This afternoon I went upstairs to find that she'd made her bed, laid her blanket out perfectly, pillow in place, and her beloved taggy and kitty were tucked in under the blanket.

In the worn and loved rocking chair in our room.

She found her safe place. Her place of comfort, where she knows she'll be safe and protected when the night begins to come.