I’m the kind of person who likes to be prepared for anything that might go wrong. Even on vacation, it can be hard for me to relax. One weekend, we rented a condo in the mountains, a getaway for my husband, our two daughters and me. As soon as we arrived, I made sure to walk through the place and pray for protection over every room.
That still didn’t stop me from waking with a jolt during our first night there. I opened my eyes.
Where am I?
I looked around the dark room, trying to get my bearings. Oh, right, we’re in the mountains…. I could tell my husband was fast asleep beside me. Then I thought, What about the girls?
Our daughters were sharing a bedroom on the other side of the condo’s main living area. If I was having trouble sleeping, they might be too. I quietly got up to go check on them.
The girls were sleeping peacefully. I returned to my bed, but I couldn’t get back to sleep.
They’re fine now, I thought. But they might wake up like I did. I should be with them.
Once again, I made my way across the dark condo to the other bedroom. This time I crawled onto the king-size bed, in the space between my daughters.
Maybe I’m being silly, I thought. The girls were 9 and 11. Too old to need me to sleep with them even if they did have a nightmare. Still, strange room. Strange place. It could be unsettling in the dark. I lay still, listening to the girls’ breathing, trying to decide what to do. Would they be all right if I went back to my bed?
A new thought interrupted my internal debate. A thought that didn’t come from me. Do you trust me to take care of them? What is more important: your presence or mine?
I had asked the Lord for protection. Now it was time for me to rest, trusting that he had heard my prayer.
I crossed the condo and slipped under the covers beside my husband, who was sleeping soundly. Soon I would be too.
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