Faith and Fear

Tonight, there are a few thunderstorms rolling though our area. My kids are all very afraid of thunder/lightening, but Brady is especially afraid of it. I know it was no accident that when I was putting them to bed tonight and doing their devotions with them, that they were all about Jesus being with them.
I put Brady to bed first. His devotion was about how Jesus is with you when you are afraid.
It was thundering outside and I thought "THIS is perfect! We will talk about Jesus being with him and that he shouldn't be afraid of the thunder and he will go right on to sleep"

Well, that's not what happened. Not at all.

I finished the devotion and we said a prayer that Jesus would be with him always and that he wouldn't be afraid. At this point, Brady was laying on my leg and I could see the tears welling up in his eyes and his little lip poking out. I asked,

"What is wrong, Buddy?"

"I cared of tund-oy"

"It's okay, Buddy! Who is watching over you?"

He answered correctly, "Je ssuuuss" but he was still upset. So, I tucked him in with still quivering lips and tears still in his eyes and told him I would be back in a few minutes after I got the girls in bed.

I went upstairs and did the girls devotions with them. Which, btw, were also about God being with them during scary things (Allie's) and even to the end of the age (Maggie and Lillie's). I find that to be NO accident! They were not as scared as Brady so they were ok with going to bed....mostly because the thunder wasn't that bad, tonight.

But Brady,was NOT ok. He was crying and calling me over and over again.

I finally made it back down to him and spent the next 20 minutes until the thunder was fully gone laying with him and rubbing his back so he would go to sleep.

Then I got to thinking how like Brady I am alot of the time. We had just talked about how Jesus was watching over him and that Jesus was taking care of him. He knew the right answers. He understood....yet he was still (visibly) scared.

Fear is something I struggle with on a regular basis. And *I* KNOW the right answers. I know that He is always with me even to the end of the age. I know He is taking care of me and that He is in control of all things. I know how many times God tells us not to be afraid and yet, I'm still afraid.

Tonight, I'm praying that the Lord will truly let my children have peace and not be afraid of the thunder. And I'm praying that I can concur my struggle with fear.

One of the things that seemed to help Brady feel better was having me be with him for a while.....I know that is what I need to do, too.

I'm going to spend some time with my Lord. The Lord who casts out fear!

in HIM-