Clouds unnerve him. Heavy rains torment him. And no, I’m not speaking of our crazy, nervous dog. I’m speaking of our son. I heard the whimpering as he stumbled to my side of the bed. With eyes closed I assured him, “You’re fine, Son, go back to bed.”
“My leg hurts, Momma.”
You’re fine, Son, go back to bed.”
A few moments later I lumbered from my bed to be sure he’d made it back to his own bed. When he saw me, he cried out.
“My knee, Momma!”
“It’s not your knee, Son. It’s the rain and there’s no reason to be afraid.” He climbed back into bed as I assured him, “You’re fine. God made the sun and the rain. He loves you and will keep you, always. Think about Jesus. Sing about Jesus. Say His name. Ask Him, ‘Jesus make me brave.’ I love you, Son. Goodnight.”
Once alone, on the other side of the door, the battle was surely on. I could well imagine the spiritual tug-of-war within his tiny little soul—to be scared or to be brave. The choice was his to make. I returned to bed and prayed.
“Be near him, Lord Jesus. Help him to be brave. Calm his anxious heart, as only You can.”
Then an unexpected battle broke out in my room.
He’s scared. Don’t you care? A good mom would lay down with him and sing him back to sleep. A good mom would have let him sleep in her bed tonight. It’s just one night. He’s only six.
I began to pray. “Be near, Lord Jesus. I lift my little one up to You. You are all he needs. You’ll never leave him nor forsake him. I love and trust you.” Just then, I noticed something. Silence. He had answered our prayers by the ceasing of the rain.
Is it okay to let your kids be afraid? Yes, as long as you pray for them and teach them how to deal with their fear.
My husband and I may not always be here for our kids. We disappoint, are inconsistent, lose our cool, and to be quite frank, we fail parenthood often. If we are not steadfast and are limited as to what we can do for our kids, then
there must be One who is better—more trustworthy. Yes, Jesus. One of the most valuable lessons we can teach our children is to surrender their fears to the One who says, “Fear not, I’m here.” Ultimately, my son needs Jesus more than my son needs me.
Don’t be afraid. Call out to Christ and your fears will subside.
(Photo courtesy of office.microsoft.com.)
(For more devotions, visit us at www.christiandevotions.us.)
Karmen Smith is a wife, mother, blogger, and enthusiastic speaker with a growing platform. She is passionate about encouraging, exhorting, and exciting others with REAL stories about REAL life. Karmen has a MA in Elementary Education, and taught first grade for twelve years before resigning to homeschool her two boys. Over the last year, she has spoken to a number of women’s groups and has guest posted on a variety of blogs. You can read more about Karmen and her zeal for life on her personal blog, www.BlessingsBeyondtheBarnyard.com.