My 7-year-old has a fearful spirit.  She’s a classic tomboy so she’s not afraid of activities, new things and a challenge, but she’s afraid of being in a room alone and of the dark.  A few nights ago she came to me at bedtime and didn’t want to go to bed.  I asked what she was afraid of and it seemed that she wasn’t afraid, but was afraid of BEING afraid.  She wasn’t scared at the moment, but worried that she might wake up during the night and be scared.

Then she asked me if I would put my kisses in her hand.  This is a routine that she and I do when she’s afraid at night.  I remind her that everything is ok.  That the doors are locked.  That we are close by.  Then I pray for her and I kiss the inside of her hand, wrap her hand around the kisses and she can then tuck them under her pillow and pull them out when she is afraid and needs me close.

Off to bed she went, armed with my kisses and prayers and I got up the next morning and saw her still sleeping soundly.  When she woke up, she came running right to me and said, “I used your kisses!”  She told me that 2 times during the night she woke up afraid but used my kisses to help her go back to sleep.

I may not be 7 any more or afraid of the dark, but I don’t live without fear 100% of the time.  There are things that scare me and I’m sure there are things that scare you too.  What if we could live like Haven?  She just accepts the truth that I’m close and can pull out my promises to calm her heart and give her peace.

What if we just accepted the truth that God is close?  That He’s with us?  And then, when we are afraid, pull out his promises to calm our hearts and give us peace?  In the Bible we see Jesus reference the faith of a child.   Children tend to be afraid, but then the great thing about children is that they run to their Momma or Daddy when they are and it calms their fear.  They just believe what Momma and Daddy says and it makes all the difference.

Let’s live that way.  Let’s just believe what Daddy says.  It will make all the difference.

Deuteronomy 31:18 – “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”