Tonight my daughter Bella started crying in her sleep. She does this every now and then. She sobs like her heart is broken. Real tears stream down her cheeks while she is still completely asleep. When this happens, I go in the room and sit with her, trying to calm her down. Usually this doesn’t work, and I have to hold her in my lap like a baby and rock her. I kiss her cheeks and forehead. I whisper to her. I tell her over and over, “Mommy is here. Mommy’s right here. I’m right here. You’re safe. You’re ok.” I keep whispering these things to her. Sometimes, her eyes open, but she does not hear me. I continue to hold her and rock her, but she does not feel my arms around her. She is so deeply asleep in her world of tears that she can’t seem to sense my presence at all.
And I realized I am so much like her. I have times in my life when I sob uncontrollably. I curl up in bed with tears streaming down my face. And I am so deep in my world of tears that I don’t sense God’s presence. He is holding me, but I can’t feel His arms around me. His Word tells me that He whispers to me over and over, “I am here. I’m right here. You’re safe with me.” I felt like the Holy Spirit gave me this insight tonight. If Bella could only wake up, she would realize that she is safe in her mother’s arms. She would realize that there is nothing she has to fear. She would realize that she is completely safe, and she would no longer feel alone. I pray the next time I am huddled up in fear and sadness, that I would remember that even if I can’t feel or see Him, God is right there with me. And I can take comfort in His presence. Because we have an amazing God who is with us in all things.
“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17