Saturday, August 09, 2008

Slumber

We spent the last couple of days at my parents' house. Around 4am this morning I was awakened by a slight sound moving down the hall outside my room. I initially assumed it was the cat. My Mommy sixth sense told me it might be a disoriented 4 year old and I ought to get up and check it out. I peeked in the children's room and noticed K's spot was empty. She was not in the restroom or the kitchen. As I entered the dark playroom I saw her, bewildered and half-asleep looking around for any sign of her Mommy.

She had not yet uttered a sound, but from the look on her face, I could tell she was on the verge of panic. A rush of relief covered her face as I called her name through the darkness.

As I settled her into my bed for the last couple of hours of the night I couldn't help but reflect on the imagery of my frightened child alone in the dark--trying to feel her way through the situation rather than call for me to rescue her. What if I hadn't heard her in the hall? I am not sure I would have heard her crying on the other side of the house.

I am NOT a light sleeper. I can sleep through 10 or more phone calls during the night when my husband is on call, but if a child has a strange cough in the night I am awakened. It is an amazing trait of motherhood.

As I pondered this all, Psalm 112 immediately came to mind.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121


We are loved by a Father who never slumbers or sleeps. We don't have to 'hope' He stirs in the night to respond to our needs or that he 'happens to notice' when we are in trouble. He doesn't have to wander through the darkness to find us and rescue us. He is there, on guard, alert, as our protector...always. What a promise!

4 comments:

katie said...

beautiful comfort~ to remember that he sees us, even silently afraid and in the dark.

thanks for the reminder and real life analogy. god is good to allow us to be parents and act out just a glimmer of his ability to love and care!!

Brandy Thixton said...

So good.

Distybug said...

Beautiful post. I've always loved that chapter too. He never sleeps, He won't let us be harmed. Wow.

chael said...

cant tell you how much i have been blessed by your writings (: just read psalm 121 this week! the songs of ascents are beautiful psalms to read. psalm 127 has exhorted me so much to place my trust in the Lord. you have such beautiful children! (: