Morning finally came.
I got home yesterday afternoon from my trip.
After unloading the last of my belongings from the fire into Dad’s garage, I was ready to settle in for the evening.
Dad had other plans.
After Connie left, he started coming into my room every few minutes.
He couldn’t settle down. He would sit for a few minutes, get up, move somewhere else, then come looking for me again.
Eventually, I realized what was behind it.
Dad was afraid to go to sleep.
He thought if he fell asleep, someone was going to kill him.
I reassured him.
I told him I wasn’t going to hurt him and that I wasn’t going to let anyone else hurt him either.
He was safe.
But knowing that and believing it enough to close his eyes were two different things.
At one point, he wanted me to sit out there with him.
So I did.
I moved to the couch, thinking maybe having me nearby would help him feel safe enough to sleep.
It didn’t.
After about the sixth time he got up and changed locations, I finally went back to my bedroom.
About fifteen minutes later, here he came again—without his walker—wanting to know why I wasn’t out there.
I told him.
Sitting out there didn’t seem to make any difference, and I could at least be comfortable in my room.
Eventually, sometime after eleven, he settled down.
This morning, I’ve been thinking about what kept him awake.
It wasn’t an actual danger. It was the fear of what he believed might happen.
No matter how many times I reassured him, it took time before he could trust my words enough to rest.
I wonder how often we do the same thing with God.
We know what He has told us and that He is with us, yet fear can send us right back to worrying about everything that could happen.
What if something goes wrong?
What if the thing I’m afraid of really does happen?
God never promised us that nothing bad would happen.
Jesus told us the opposite.
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
—John 16:33
Our security isn’t found in a life where nothing goes wrong.
It’s found in knowing Who is with us when it does.
That doesn’t mean fear immediately disappears or that needing reassurance means we don’t have faith.
David understood that.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
—Psalm 56:3
He didn’t say he was never afraid.
He decided what he would do when fear came.
Maybe that’s where the choice comes in.
We can’t always control when fear shows up. We can choose whether we let it control what we do or trust the One who already knows what tomorrow holds.
Dad eventually closed his eyes.
His actual safety hadn’t changed during those hours. What changed was his ability to trust it enough to rest.
Sometimes, it takes us a while too.
🌿 One Dreams Writing — Finding God’s presence in everyday moments.