Last night however, she woke at 3:00 AM crying because she was dreaming of a snake biting her foot. This is probably due to the fact that we spent the previous day with her favorite four boys. Yes, THESE boys. She adores them. She wants to live there and be the 5th boy, with pigtails. She loves their sense of adventure and …shall we say… muddiness. We always bring an extra pair of clothes to their house because there is much black dirt to be rolled in and shoved under her nails. (For the record, I LOVE it there too...Denise and I always drink lots of coffee and never run out of things to talk about!)
This particular day, a snake had been spotted. It was not captured, but as he slithered into the bushes, the 2nd born son screamed “snake!” and all the other boys came running with a soiled little Asian girl following quickly-though cautiously behind them. It reminded me of someone at war screaming “Incoming!” They searched and searched but the slimy serpent evaded their snare.
So 3:00 AM she is crying and wants to come into my bed because she is afraid of the snake. I decided instead to crawl into her bed and offer Daddy a few more hours rest without the boney feet of a six year old dancing on his spine.
As I turned toward her she nuzzled into me and tightly wrapped her tiny arms around me. She peacefully drifted off to sleep as I held her close and caressed her hair. Every drop of maternal instinct in me was loving this moment. To see how my presence and touch caused her anxious heart to settle and rest. I couldn’t hold her close enough, I wanted to stop time and relish every warm breath against me. There’s no place like a Momma’s arms when the nightmares come.
This made me think about how God comforts us.
Life can be a nightmare.
But He is there for us. As we allow ourselves to melt into His loving arms, He holds us.
Isaiah 40:11
He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. NLT
Put on a worship song. Maybe this or this or this.
Close your eyes and let His love envelop you.
Breathe Him in.
It will cause your anxious heart to settle and rest too.
There’s no place like the Father’s arms when the nightmares come.
