Sometimes my son has nightmares and calls out in the night for me. The fear in his voice is so palpable I break out into a cold sweat myself as I run into his room. I scoop him up and assure him everything is going to be okay. His sobs eventually subside and his sweet cherub face is at peace again. It’s heartbreaking to see him so scared, and I think the quiet dark house just magnifies everything being felt on my side and on his side. It’s amazing though, and really quite satisfying to hear him call out for ME. I’m the one he wants during his darkest hour. To me, this is like the ultimate gift. Right now, I get to be everything for him.
God should be who we call out to in the night. Have you ever had a terrible dream and not been able to go back to sleep? Man, I sure have. I just lay there, my heart racing trying not to fall back into the dream all over again. God should be who we wake up in the night when we are scared. He is our Father and wants nothing more than to assuage our fears. He is strong and mighty. In Psalm 18:2 we are reminded that God is our rock and our safe haven. He can handle our greatest fears and harbor us in the scariest of moments.
Sometimes, we can be paralyzed with fear and sadness. We lose a parent or a child, we are let go from our job, we fail a class for the second time in a row. All of these things can leave us nearly incapacitated and shake our faith. In Deuteronomy 1:31, God tells us that He will carry us just like a father carries his child. This passage also reminds me of “Footprints in the Sand” a poem that chronicles the life of a man and his journey with God. When the man looks back on the difficult trials of his life, he notices only one set of footprints in the sand. He asks God,
“I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”
Come to find out, the Lord was carrying the man during his darkest days. When you are weeping, when you feel as though you cannot continue, God will scoop you up and carry you.
I think it’s hard for us to ask God to carry us during the difficult times. One time I missed a step going down the back steps and twisted my ankle. Luckily my husband was there to help me out. I had just had our 2nd child and was carrying much more weight than I’d like to admit. I was embarrassed when I noticed him struggling to carry me up the steps. He didn’t say anything. He simply took care of me. I think we are sometimes embarrassed to let the Father carry us through the difficult times. Maybe we’re embarrassed of a bad habit we can’t kick, or of where we are in our lives. God doesn’t care. He simply wants to take care of us. Remember, just like a father carries his child, so God will carry you.
Reflect: Do you lean on God during scary times in your life? Or, do you try to take on these trials alone?
Reflect: How do you feel knowing that God is strong enough to carry you?
Act: Think of someone in your life who could use some strength and courage. Call them up, meet them for lunch or shoot them a text. Let them know that you’re there for them.
