I sometimes had nightmares as a child. Waking up in the middle of the night with the dark shadows on my wall cast by the nightlight didn't help the fears either. With my heart in my throat I'd try to calm myself down and reassure my worried mind that it was only a dream.

A big, bad, awful, scary dream.

Sometimes I would be able to fall back to sleep and drift off into a sweet repose without any more "bad dreams"(as I used to call them). Other times though, I would jump out of bed and run to my parents room.

After rousing mom from her deep sleep she would invite me to climb into bed with her. There, tucked safe inside her loving arms my heartbeat would return to normal and I began to feel safe once more. The shadows seemed to flee and the bad dream became a distant memory. I was safe, loved and calm. With my mom by my side, her loving, reassuring words and soft breathing beside me I knew everything would be ok. Usually within 10 minutes or so I felt safe enough to return to my own bed. With a kiss and another reassuring word I returned back through the kitchen and down the hallway into my own bedroom.

It was just a dream. Not real. The shadows weren't scary anymore. It felt like I carried the presence of my mother back with me into my bedroom. I now realize it wasn't her actual presence but rather her love for me that was carried back into my bed. With that love came reassurance, security and calm.

It's been many, many years since I climbed into my parents bed. I remember fondly those touching moments between my mother and I. As I recently pondered over these memories I realized something even greater though and that is this: that my mother's love and reassurance was a reflection of my Heavenly Father's love.

I'm sure that if God has a big, heavenly King sized bed, He too would open His arms wide and let us climb in. But thankfully He gives us something even greater than our earthly parents ever could... His constant presence and infinite love. Not only do we get to carry His love around with us wherever we go but God goes with us to all places.

When the shadows of life seem too big and scary and your fears start to overwhelm don't forget that God is with you always. He has more than a thousand reassuring words to give, a love that never ends nor fails, strong arms to wrap you up in, and a big heavenly kiss to place right upon your forehead.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear
1 John 4:18a